“The only thing that everyone has that is equal is 24 hours in a day. Everything else is unequal.”
Various similar quotes
credited to many different people
How students manage their time allows them to either be very successful or to struggle greatly. Many people do not wish to manage their time, allowing random events to dictate how they utilize the hours that are given to them. Other choose to schedule their time so that they accomplish their goals and spend time on their priorities. Which do you choose?
A process for managing time:
- Identify how you presently use your time
- Identify and rank-order your priorities
- Schedule time for life necessities: sleeping, grooming, eating, relaxation (time for self), family interactions, etc.
- If college is one of your top priorities, schedule class time, study time (1.5 to 2 hours outside of class for each hour in class), and project time
- Schedule time each week for your other top priorities
- Adjust your schedule as needed to include your top priorities
- FOLLOW YOUR SCHEDULE!
- Adjust your schedule for “Crunch Time,” which is often around midterm and at the end of the semester.
- Identify how you presently use your time
Make a chart of a week and fill in the times that you do certain activities. Look at your life over a normal week and mark down the times that you spend on each life activity.
Review your chart to see if there are activities that you can either eliminate or reduce the amount of time that you spend on them
- Identify and rank-order your priorities
What is important to you? Family? Job? Sports? Music? Friends? College? Leisure? Pets? Parents? Children? Volunteer work?
Put these priorities into order from the most important to the least important.
If you think that your job is not very important, but you NEED the money that you earn in order to stay alive and pay your bills, rank “JOB INCOME” instead of “Job.”
- Schedule time for life necessities: sleeping, grooming, eating, relaxation (time for self), family interactions, etc.
Start with a new schedule and mark time for the necessities of your life. Make sure that you include any special events – birthdays, anniversaries, appointments, etc. – in your schedule so that you can plan for these and make still get all of your school work completed.
- If college is one of your top priorities, schedule class time, study time (1.5 to 2 hours outside of class for each hour in class), and project time.
Mark your schedule with your class times (include transportation time to and from school), study times (include study groups or tutoring times), and school activity times (clubs, organizations, volunteer time, etc., that are related to college).
- Schedule time each week for your other top priorities.
Make sure you look at all of the priorities that you must include (do) every week.
- Adjust your schedule as needed to include your top priorities.
If you have too many things to do and not enough time to do them, then you will have to adjust your schedule
WARNING: Do not schedule yourself so completely that you have no time to just “be.” You MUST have time for yourself to do things that help you to relax and re-energize
- FOLLOW YOUR SCHEDULE!
If you develop a schedule that appears to work for you, then follow it.
Realize:
² If you do not follow the schedule, then you are not trying to effectively manage your time
² If you are struggling with the schedule, DO NOT THROW AWAY the schedule
i. If the schedule just does not work for you, you can adjust it.
ii. If you have never followed a schedule, you will need time to adjust to a schedule. Following the schedule for a few weeks (about six weeks) will help you adjust to following a schedule.
iii. If you do not like following a schedule, you might just have to get used to it, at least while you are in college.
iv. Do not look at the entire semester when you are struggling with the schedule; look at the next day or week. Recognize that a college semester is only 15-16 weeks long, and you will have extra time after the semester ends.
- Adjust your schedule for “Crunch Time,” which is often around midterm and at the end of the semester.
You might have to do away with some of your activities FOR A WEEK or TWO so that you can successfully complete mid-term tests and assignments and end-of-term requirements. Reducing sleep for a day or two will usually not harm a person (Doing this for a number of weeks, however, will reduce your physical strength and mental reserve, which will negatively impact your school performance).
WARNING, TOO:
Ø If you have a significant other or family, you will want to share your schedule with them and gain their support for your plan.
Ø Make adjustments with which both you and the others can agree and feel comfortable.
o If you make compromises that you do not wish to make, you will feel resentment.
o If your significant other or family members make similar compromises, they will get angry when you are not available to them or willing to give them additional time.
Ø Your significant other or family will have to “buy into” the schedule and support you in your efforts to succeed in college and life.
o If your significant other or family do not support you and your efforts, then you will find yourself spending a considerable amount of time trying to just “keep the peace.”