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Time Management: Building a Plan

The key to success during your college career is to stay organized and that means making a schedule. Make sure to lay out your schedule at the beginning of each week to keep yourself on track and make sure nothing slips off your plate.

 

Tips for Building a Time Management Plan

  1. Get a planner. It can be paper or electronic, whichever works for you, but it should be portable.
  2. Make a list of all of your commitments and note which ones you have control over. Your commitments could include classes, work, club meetings, working out, eating, and studying.
  3. Lay our your commitments from highest to lowest priority. Remember, you only have 168 hours per week to work with and you have to sleep sometime.
    1. High priority commitments are events that must happen on a certain day at a specific time, like class or work.
    2. Medium priority commitments are things that happen on a certain day, but have variable times and can be worked in around higher priority things. Medium priority things might include studying, eating, and exercising.
    3. Low priority commitments are things that can be put-off until the higher priority things are done, like volunteering, intramural sports, and social time with friends.
  4. Take your planner with you and as you complete your commitments, check them off. You’ll feel a great sense of accomplishment.
  5. Carry your planner with you throughout your day and check things off as you finish them. You’ll feel very accomplished when you see your checked off list at the end of the day.

Plan to Study

Fact: Studying information within 24 hours of learning about it in class leads to better retention and recollection. For more information, check out academic coaching services from the Academic Success and Career Center.