As tans begin to fade from spring break, the reality of being back at school starts to set in. It will once again be warm and you will be back on the beach in the summer sun sooner than you think, but you can’t forget to get down to business between now and the time you walk out of your last final.
Learning time management will allow you to enjoy the warm weather and the social life it brings, while also helping you to stay on top of your work and commitments to school. To ensure that you live the last of the semester to the fullest (or college for seniors!) here are a couple of tips on how to manage your time:
Schedule and plan each day. If you know that you have several assignments to complete for the week, create a schedule for yourself each day. In this schedule, be sure to write down weekly commitments (such as class, meetings, intramural games, practice, workouts, etc.) and schedule time slots of when you will work on/complete each assignment. You don’t always have to fully complete an assignment, but be sure to set a goal for yourself to achieve. Penn State’s University Learning Center stated that pro
crastination often occurs when there is no specific or realistic goal in mind, which leads to wasted time.
Prioritize your “to-do” list. Obviously, not all tasks are of the highest importance. Cleaning your room is often on the list, but is far less important than studying for a mid term the next morning. You must rank your tasks in order of most important to least important, according to MindTools.com. When a simple “to-do” list just exists, there is no organization and is merely a collection of things that must get done. When you prioritize and incorporate this into scheduling, you wont find yourself rushing to get something critical done. Don’t be afraid to schedule too much time for an important task either, and remember that if you believe something is important, say applying for an internship or e-mailing a professor for a recommendation letter, then you will find the time to do it.
Focus 100% for at least 40 minutes at a time. Timemanagement.com said the most efficient way to study is by following that rule and allowing yourself 10 minute breaks in between each 40-60 minute study interval. It is imperative that you use this 40-60 minute block of time to the fullest and not let yourself get distracted, otherwise the 10 minute break won’t be a “reward” for yourself. To be sure you don’t get distracted during your break, set an alarm on your phone and once it goes off, stop what you are doing and return to work.
Eliminate all distractions. As much as college students love to say how good we are at multitasking, having Facebook and Twitter pulled up while checking e-mail, listening to music and texting your best friend is not the way to be getting things done. Instead, use your break time to check all of these — not after each sentence you write for a 10 page research paper. Also, if you decide to listen to music while you work, make sure it is something that will help you study and not make you want to close your laptop and run to Red Lion.
Time management eliminates cramming, reduces feelings of anxiety, motivates and initiates when work is to be done and guarantees never missing a deadline. Even though the semester is almost over, it is never to late to start making your life less stressful and more efficient.