Throughout my life, I never had a busy schedule. I was not in any extracurricular activities. I was single, only went to my part time job about twice a week, and went to school. I had so much time on my hands to do whatever I wanted. And then I got to university. The workload was harder. I joined a sorority, began a relationship with my boyfriend, and started writing for Her Campus. It was so hard to stay on top, especially since I had never encountered this type of problem before. I always had so much time, so time-management wasn’t something I struggled with.
Managing your time is something really personal, as each person has a different idea that works for them. I know that for me, it is not something I found easy. I struggled with finding an easy way to manage my time, and what works for me may not work for everyone. However, there are many great steps in the right direction that will help you feel more on track .
For one, prioritizing my to-do list was something I initially found so hard. With so many things to do, it was overwhelming to arrange everything to make sure I did everything I wanted. Unfortunately, that did not always work, and sacrifices quickly had to be made. If I have a long school paper to write, that will be my first priority, no matter how long it takes. If it cuts into other plans, that is the way it has to be. Having to say no to plans can sometimes suck, but in the end, we are all students and are in university for a reason. Rearranging plans with friends is likely not going to be very detrimental.
Relying on my Google Calendar is a lifesaver. I’m always attached to my phone, and it’s so easy to organize everything, from my personal calendar, to my sorority events, work shifts and birthdays. I usually set an alarm for about half an hour before I have to do something, to give myself time to ease into my next scheduled activity. This has, for me, been a really effective way of keeping me on track and reminding me that in a few short minutes, I need to devote my time to something else.
Though I can’t offer any expert advice, I can say that I found that time management really helped my mental health state. As someone that has anxiety, I can get overwhelmed very easily. Devoting specific times to specific activities is really helpful to me. I know that Monday nights are reserved for my boyfriend, and Wednesday nights for my family. I have specific scheduled times to go to the gym, to study, and all the other things on my agenda. Of course, sometimes things may need to be switched around, but having a general idea of when I’m supposed to be doing what spared me many moments of intense panic trying to remember if I’ve forgotten to do something important.