Time Management

Effective time management is one of the biggest challenges in college academic success. Manage your time wisely, prioritize your to-do list, anticipate future needs, make commitments, be punctual, and carry out plans. These habits will reduce the anxiety that can complicate your academic and social life. Effective time management improves grades, lowers stress, and holds you accountable for your responsibilities.

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OVERCOMING FEARS

Several fears can prevent students from effectively managing their time. Procrastination leads to missed appointments and missed deadlines. To avoid the academic and social setbacks procrastination causes, understand the fears that make you procrastinate in the first place. Here are four of the most common. Can you relate to any or all of these?

WHERE DOES THE TIME GO?

We only have 168 hours available each week. You should be using eight hours to sleep each night, and you’ll most likely be averaging three hours every day preparing and eating meals. That leaves 91 hours for the week. You’ll spend some of that time in class, possibly some of it working, and some as free time. Of course you want to make time for family, exercise, and other activities.

SAVING TIME FOR STUDYING: THE THREE-HOUR RULE

Of the 168 hours in a week, how many do you devote to studying? On average, you should study 3 hours each week for every 1 credit hour that you are enrolled. For example, if you are enrolled in 12 credit hours, you should spend at minimum 36 hours each week studying. During those 36 hours, you should commit to reading assignments, writing papers, communicating with your classmates and instructor, working on projects, and preparing for quizzes and tests.

PRIORITIZE: ONE ACTIVITY AT A TIME

It’s important to develop a system that tracks everything you need to do. By prioritizing tasks, you can make sure you complete everything before it’s due. Here are things to keep in mind as you sort activities into what needs to be done now and what can wait.

• Balance Your Activities. Don’t place everything on your immediate to-do list. But don’t put everything off until the end of the month either.
• Now vs. Later. Recognize what tasks are the most urgent based upon your commitments and responsibilities. Look ahead at future assignments to see what they involve.
• Me vs. We. Identify tasks that rely on other people, such as group projects. Be considerate of their time and yours by setting draft due dates before the final project due date. This gives you time to review your peers’ work and edit yours.
• Easy, then Hard. If possible, list and complete your easiest tasks first so that you feel a sense of accomplishment.
• Time on Task. Assess how long each task will take to complete.
• Most Important vs. Least Important. What are the consequences of not doing this activity? Tackle activities that have more consequences before other activities which have lesser consequences.

FALLING BEHIND: DOS AND DON’TS

It happens. When you juggle work, family, school and more, sometimes school gets neglected. If you fall behind and realize you are minutes away from the due date for an assignment you haven’t even started, contact your instructor. Be honest and explain the situation. Ask for an extension. Sometimes instructors will give you one, even if they take off a few points for being late.

• Don’t blame it on technology. Instructors have heard “My computer died” and “I couldn’t open the file” too many times to believe it. You aren’t the first to think of it. Be honest and move on.
• Don’t cheat. Some students copy others’ work when they are stressed, which is called “panic-cheating.” You can get a zero on your work or even expelled for violating the Student Conduct Code and Academic Integrity. It isn’t worth it.
• Don’t skip submitting the assignment. As they say, “Better late than never.” You can still learn from the assignment and get a passing grade, even if points are taken off for a late submission. If you don’t submit at all, you know you’ll get a zero, which could severely hurt your grade.

What you can do is learn from your experience and plan ahead so you aren’t caught in the same situation.

A SCHEDULE THAT STICKS: PRIORITIZE YOUR LIFE

It’s important to create a schedule tailored to your life’s activities. That means a personal calendar you follow each day. Above all, be consistent in filling out and checking your calendar. Here are some other important steps.

1. Create a to-do list of your responsibilities and things you need to remember.
2. Find a planner or calendar that fits your personality. Digital calendars are great options.
3. Write down all of the names, times, locations, and phone numbers of your appointments, important events, and due dates for assignments, exams, quizzes, projects, work schedule, engagements, and other obligations. At the beginning of the semester, use your syllabus and course calendar to write down all due dates in your planner.
4. Review your calendar daily so that you are up-to-date with your tasks.
5. Always carry your planner or calendar with you in a convenient place.

ADVICE AND TIPS FOR STICKING TO YOUR SCHEDULE