Mastering time management for college students
Grace Myers, Managing Editor
Like Cher, many college students may find themselves wishing that they could “turn back time” when they spend a little too much time watching Netflix and forget about the paper that’s due in class the next day.
Take, for example, the story of a young freshman named Jane. Jane went on a late-night Waffle House run with her friends when in the middle of her meal, she remembered that she had an exam the next day that she hadn’t even studied for. As a result, later that night, while her friends were cozy in their beds, Jane was frantically cramming for her exam.
After that chaotic night, Jane decided to seek help to improve her time management skills.
Brynna Bower, academic support coordinator at North Greenville University, works with approximately forty-plus individuals each semester who, like Jane, struggle with time management and scheduling. She recommends the following steps to students who desire to begin their time management journey.
1. “Un-schedule” yourself – figure out what needs to be done
As you begin your time management journey, Bower recommends that you “un-schedule” yourself by putting aside any previous study schedules and taking stock of all your commitments. You can’t solve a problem that you don’t know the details of. To do this, gather all your materials – class and work schedules, syllabi and activities – anything to do with your current commitments. Reviewing these documents helps you better grasp what you need to manage and can show you when you are the busiest and when you have available free time.
2. Create a list of priorities
After you have an understanding of what needs to be done. It’s time to figure out what’s most important. According to Bower, one of the realities of time management is that sometimes you may have to give up something in favor of something that’s more important.
Sacrificing isn’t always fun, but setting your priorities is crucial for succeeding in time management. Some things, like homework, cannot be given up, but that extra hour of Netflix can. However, when you manage your time well, you will have more time to binge-watch the newest season of your favorite show than you think.
That being said, don’t discount the importance of self-care and sleep when evaluating your priorities. Avoiding burnout is just as essential to academic success as staying on top of your homework. When your mental and physical health suffers, the quality of your work will too.
3. Act on your priorities and make changes
Now that you have your priorities straight, it’s time to make changes to help you achieve those priorities. Bower notes that those changes may look like canceling plans or giving yourself a TV time limit. These actions will help your priorities and commitments better fit with that available time that you discovered in step one.
For example, Mark used to work four days a week. However, when he took a step back and evaluated his priorities, he realized that he needed extra time to work on all of his assignments so that he wasn’t trying to do everything at once. Therefore, Mark reached out to his supervisor and changed his schedule. Now he only works three days a week and has more time to devote to his other priorities
4. Create your schedule
Here comes the fun part – creating your schedule. You know what you need to do and have narrowed down your commitments and priorities; now it’s time to break it down even more. When it comes to making your schedule, Bower recommends putting all of your assignment due dates on a monthly calendar, then dividing each assignment into weekly and daily tasks.
It is important to break down your study sessions, assignments, and papers into small pieces so that you can decrease the likelihood of being overwhelmed or having to write an entire paper the night it is due. In this stage, a good planner is your best friend.
There are many digital and physical planners available but be sure to choose one that allows for flexibility. For example, if you prefer a physical planner, consider one that has monthly and weekly sections already in place – Bower recommends a Mead Cambridge weekly/monthly planner or a Blue-Sky weekly planner.
5. Check-in each week and adjust
You’re almost there. You’ve practically mastered time management. The last component of time management is adjustment. At the end of each week, you complete, evaluate the following week – Do you have a new commitment? Is there a mandatory event that coincides with your normal study time? Are your friends going out to celebrate someone’s birthday? No two weeks are identical; no day is exactly the same.
Be prepared to give yourself grace and make tweaks to your schedule. Having a plan is key for time management, but going out with your friends to celebrate something will not cause you to fail college. Just consider that celebration when planning your week.
For instance, when Hannah wanted to go out and celebrate her birthday with friends, she cut down on her Netflix time and worked on a paper instead so that she could relax and celebrate on the weekend.
This five-step breakdown may feel overwhelming right now, but Bower notes that “it’s important to start by taking stock of all of your tasks and to-do’s so that you can begin to gain confidence and control over completing them…when you manage your time well, you’ll probably find that you have a lot more free time than you expected when you started your time management journey.”
Let’s check in on our friend Jane. After taking her exam, she decided to stop by the Center for Student Success and take their time management advice. It took a lot of work and a little bit of sacrifice, but now Jane is a senior who rarely worries about falling behind – she’s figured out a time management schedule that works for her – and still includes Waffle House runs. Investing in time management truly changed her life, and it can change yours too.
