Time management is one of those things that people have been telling you about for a long time. And they were right in the sense that it is an extremely important skill to learn and have. But usually this advice doesn’t actually give you any extra motivation or golden advance. And, the truth is that there is not one secret piece of advice that is going to fix everything, just like with studying. There are some strategies that work for some people and ones that work for others, and even more that work for very few people. That being said, here’s some ways to help you manage your time.
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First, organize what you have. You can’t manage or budget or plan for anything if you don’t know what you’re trying to plan for. If you’re trying to organize what you have going on in the long term then you check out an article here all about a three calendar system meant to help you keep your life organized. If you need help in the short term, then lists can be extremely helpful. Make a large list of everything you have to do. Then, make smaller lists that are more manageable. Put the most important things on top, so if you end up not having enough time to get to everything on your list then the most important things are already out of the way. Is there something huge on your list that is going to take forever? Split it into sections. Intergrate these sections with smaller, quicker tasks that can give you a break so you don’t go insane from working on that one essay for seven hours straight.
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Not only are lists a great way to keep yourself on track, but they can help keep yourself accountable. It’s something that you can look back on at the end of the day and say “Yes, I did everything I set out to do.” or “I didn’t get everything done that I planned, why not?” If you find yourself consistently not getting to everything then you might either be underestimating how much time you need to do things or overestimating what you can do. This leads us to our next tip.
Every now and then, say no. Sometimes you will be too busy and can’t do everything. That’s ok. That’s where prioritizing comes in. Do that big essay instead of that 5 point worksheet. Sometimes this can apply to personal time consumers too. Sometimes it’s better to just take the time to take a shower and do your dishes instead of going to that club meeting. Taking care of yourself is just as important as meeting requirements. After all, you’ll end up being able to meet less and less of your obligations if you don’t take care of yourself and burn out.
And sometimes it’s even best to say no right at the beginning. Having more employment is always a great thing, but if you don’t have the time to tack on another job then don’t do it. If you’re already struggling to finish everything you need to this weekend then don’t say you can drive your friend to the grocery store that day. It’s ok to say no. And here’s a little secret that can sometimes be difficult to put into practice: you don’t always need to give an explanation if you have to say no to something. Yes, there are times that you will have to explain. But most of the time? Nope. “I can’t today.” If just as good of a response as “I can’t today because my room is a mess and I need to do laundry.” It’s your time and your life. And you don’t have to always justify your reasons for doing things.
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Now, that tip is great for people who have a tendency to overwork themselves or sign up for more than they can actually do. But what if you have the opposite problem? What if you never have anything going on but you still find yourself not reading that chapter or studying for that test? Then, even though it may suck, a stricter schedule may help. Block out a specific time of day that repeats every week to do homework. Set a reminder for it on your phone. Treat this time like a class that you have no free absents for. And this doesn’t just apply to academics. Your dishes keep piling up? Wash them every Saturday morning at 11AM. Do you keep getting distracted when studying or writing an essay? Then schedule in breaks for yourself to reset your attention. Work for twenty minutes then take a five minute break then keep that cycle going. If you don’t trust yourself to keep the timing right them confide in a friend to keep yourself accountable. Or, you can use YouTube to help. There are plenty of people who use this method and make videos with a timer and peaceful piano music to help you stay on track.
But, the best way to learn how to manage your time is experimentation. But controlled experimentation. If something isn’t working out for you then don’t just throw out your whole system. Start by changing one thing. Maybe a list was all you needed to keep on track. Maybe it was setting aside the time for that one thing. Sometimes all it takes is a small change. And if things keep on not working then try changing something else. Ask you friends or classmates or even professors how they like to manage their time.
But the biggest piece of advice? Don’t give up. Managing you time is actually a really important skill. It becomes so easy without it to slip into things being too much. Take this advice from someone who did way too much in freshman year. Be kind to yourself. Get some help. Remember to take breaks when you need it. And, eventually, you will get it!
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