24 hours may seem like a lot of time, but it can often feel impossible to fit schoolwork, personal hobbies, and social interactions into a single day. The college lifestyle can be incredibly stressful, and many students lack the time management skills necessary to be successful. Time management is an incredibly rewarding skill that will allow you to flourish in both your personal and professional lives. Good time management skills result in higher productivity levels, lower amounts of stress, and a better work-life balance. Below are some time management skills that will allow you to work smarter, not harder!
- Invest in an Agenda
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Organization is key to managing your time better. Investing in some sort of daily planner, agenda book, or calendar, is the easiest way to order all of your due dates, appointments, and assignments. A lot of people use the Google Calendar on their phones and computers, but I personally think that a handheld agenda book is one of the most essential organizational tools. It also feels so satisfying when you can cross items off your to-do list.
- Create a Daily and a Weekly Plan
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At the beginning of the week, map out every activity you have planned for the entire week (and I mean every activity). It may seem silly to write down dinner plans, but it is essential to have a weekly schedule so that you can more efficiently plan your time around meetups and figure out when to prioritize homework. In addition, if you know that you have an exam coming up in the later half of the week, or you know that you will be especially busy, you can start planning your assignments in advance to avoid burnout as the week gets more hectic. Planning out each day allows you to set individual goals that you can realistically reach throughout the day, helping improve productivity levels.
- Start your assignments Early
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Absolutely do not wait to start an assignment the day before the due date! It is never a good idea, and it always results in endless amounts of unnecessary stress. Nobody wants to start their assignments the day they receive them, but I recommend at least opening the homework documents and reading through the tasks so you can have a better time estimate of how long the assignment will take to complete.
- Set time Limits
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I find this tip especially useful on days when I have exams and I feel as though I will have no time leftover from studying to work on anything else. If you tell yourself that you need to finish a certain task by a certain time, it will be a lot more difficult to procrastinate. In addition, if you carve out a certain amount of time for all of your activities, you will be able to schedule breaks in between to focus on self-care and your own personal needs.
- learn to say “no”
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This has by far been the most difficult thing for me to grasp. I always feel so guilty saying no to people, which leads to me having too many responsibilities and always results in burnout. Learning to say no when you’re busy has never been and will never be a bad thing. Never take on more than you can handle. It is important to put yourself first and to prioritize your existing commitments.
Hopefully, these tips come in handy as we reach the end of the semester and help you to prepare for the upcoming one!
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