Managing your Time
Managing Your Time
Within the first few weeks of the semester, many students realize that time management is one of the most difficult and challenging aspects of being in College. Being organized and managing your time efficiently can make all the difference when it comes to crunch time!
Time Management Strategies
- Get and use a calendar. Paper, cell phone, or computer spreadsheet, it doesn't matter what kind of calendar you use, just make sure you have one and you keep it updated with all of your assignment due dates.
- Plan ahead. Do you have a large assignment or paper due at the end of the semester? Work backwards on your calendar and set deadlines for yourself on when you would like to have different parts of assignments completed. This way you won't be stressed and rushing to complete a big assignment at the end of the semester.
- Plan for the unexpected. You never know when your computer might get a virus, your Internet might go down, or you might get sick. Don't wait until the last minute to try and complete your assignments.
- Prioritize your assignments. Start with the most difficult assignment. That way you'll have more energy and brain power to dedicate to the task.
- Dedicated study space and time. Determine a study place and time when you won't be distracted and can concentrate on your assignments. This might be early in the morning or late in the evening, but should be a time that your mind is clear and ready to concentrate!
- Blocks of study time. Most people can only study for 40-60 minutes at a time before they become restless. Figure out how long you can concentrate on one subject and then schedule your studying into blocks of time allowing for breaks in between. Cramming all your studying into one big 3 or 4 hour chunk is not an efficient or effective way to study or complete assignments!
How much time do you have each week?
Do you have enough time each week to dedicate to your course(s) and complete everything else in your busy life?
To be a successful student you should spend approximately two to three hours outside of class studying for every one credit hour that you're enrolled. For example, for a 3 credit hour course you should spend at least 6-9 hours reading the textbook, working on assignments, and doing additional studying.
To help you better understand how much time you actually have in a normal week, the next activity will be to fill out the following "My Weekly Schedule" spreadsheet. The spreadsheet will allow you to enter in how much time you spend on different activities in your day-to-day life so you can see how much time classes and studying will take.