Of the skills that I have acquired throughout my life, time management has been one of the most valuable since the start of college. With final exams right around the corner, I figured that I’d enlighten a few of my fellow students as to how I’ve been able to manage my time since I began college.
I wasn’t born exceptionally efficient. I don’t think that anybody was. I learned how to manage my time in high school. Now that I am in college, I am now learning that the term ‘college preparatory’ means more than challenging classes, and I am thankful everyday that I gained college-level life skills before entering college. I learned how to manage my time in high school so that I could get good grades, have a social life, and get enough sleep. I know it sounds impossible, but I swear it’s not.
1. Surround yourself with people who have similar priorities.
Since I am in college, I consider school my priority. To many, that may seem like an obvious statement, but since I’ve been here, I’ve met people with a list of priorities that suggests otherwise. I am friends with all types of people, but my main friend group is made up primarily of people who value their education, and make it their priority. They inspire me to work hard, do my best, and most importantly, keep trying even when work gets tough.
2. Know when to stop
One of the best study skills that someone can have is knowing when enough is enough. My personal strategy is 40 minutes of studying, and then a 10-minute break. I usually repeat this cycle until I am done with my homework or it’s time to eat lunch or dinner. It keeps my head clear, and I find that it easier to stay focused if I implement small breaks into my study schedule.
3. You can hangout and study at the same time
Remember how I said that my friends and I all value our education? Our go to spot on Saturday and Sunday from 11am to about 4pm is the library. If you’re thinking that my friends and I must all share the same major, and that is why we can study together, I’ll tell you that I am an in the Business School, and my other friends’ majors are Chemistry, Biology, Psychology, Accounting, and Occupational Therapy. We help each other out when we can, but must of our work is done individually. Mostly, we are there for each other through moral support.
4. Don’t underestimate the value of a good night’s sleep 
My sophomore year of high school, I was up nearly every night until 2am. I equated being a good student with doing a tremendous amount of homework and studying. Yet, no matter how long I worked into the night, my grades were still not quite where I wanted them to be. I determined that I just wasn’t smart enough to get the kind of grades that I was working for. Every morning, my mom would wake me up at 6am (allowing me only about four hours of sleep), I would start class at 8am, and I would be tired by 10am. This cycle was detrimental to my education. Since I was so tired, I wouldn’t pay attention in class, which meant that I would have to spend extra time on homework, which meant that I wouldn’t get to bed until late, thus, forcing me to repeat the cycle over and over again.
Don’t do that to yourself! Yes, I understand that things come up, and yes, I have had a few long nights spent doing homework since I began college, but you shouldn’t spend every night up so late that you can’t focus in class the next day.
5. Plan ahead
If they gave out awards for people who had the best Google calendar, mine would probably come in second, only after the Google Calendar master herself, my friend, Meg, who taught me everything I know about the craft. First of all, mine is color-coded. This allows for some outstanding aesthetics, and helps me to compartmentalize all of my tasks. Second, I keep track of all of my assignments on there, so I know when everything is due. If a teacher changes a due date, I can easily go in and move things around, as opposed to having to scribble words out and rewrite them. Finally, I have synced my calendar to my phone and to my laptop, so every morning when I wake up, I can see what I have to do that day. By planning ahead and maintaining my calendar, I have been able to keep track of my assignments, quizzes, and tests.
With some practice and commitment, you will be able to master the art of time management! It could take a month, or maybe even a whole semester. Regardless of how long it takes, having great time management skills will be beneficial for the rest of your life.
