College is full of academics and social life. Coming in as a freshman, it can be extremely overwhelming not knowing how much time to spend for each. It is very easy to get sucked into the social atmosphere and underestimate how much time is needed for academics. When midterms and finals come around, you may feel swamped. You have three papers, two tests, and a presentation all due in one week, so what do you do? Instead of breaking down and losing your mind with all this work make sure you have the best time management possible. Here are some tips so your time in college is the best it could be.
- Create a list
Write down everything that needs to be done and when it is due. This will help reduce stress and let you see an outline for what needs to be done each day. Make sure to have the most important tasks first, to lessen your stress.
- Learn to say “no”.
Saying no is okay. You are not a bad person to pass up a movie night, going to the bar, or just hanging out. There will be other times to see your friends. Get the work you have done, so when you do hang out with your friends you can enjoy it-stress free.
- Get your sleep.
Sleep is critical in college. It is easy to become sidetracked and stay up until 3 or 4 in the morning, however it will not help you in the long run. When you are swamped with work, being sick will just push everything back and make everything ten times more of a struggle. Sleeping 7-8 hours a night is suggested to help you learn, and will allow your body more of a chance to fight off viruses and stay healthy.
- Don’t procrastinate.
Devote all your attention to the task you are doing. Yes, that means shut off the TV and eliminate all other distractions. Sometimes putting your phone on silent and in the top drawer of your desk is important in order to accomplish an assignment quickly and effectively.