In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives as college students, the question of time management always seems to come up. The main question is whether or not it’s possible. We make decisions on the fly as they relate to time management. Do I go to bed early to wake up early to finish the assignment, or power through it now? Do I have time to stop at Rags for lunch or should I get a muffin from Jo’s? While we usually make decisions in the moment, with proper planning, anyone can be good at time management. 

As high school students, we always seemed to be able to manage our time. We went to school from eight to three, did extracurriculars, went home to do homework and relied on four hours of sleep to get up the next day to do it all again. While some might not say this is good time management, we were able to go to class, have a social life and get some much-needed rest.  

As college students, it’s hard to transition. While we are still on a repeated weekly schedule, we plan our lives around our classes. The first part of good time management is knowing the type of person you are.

I prefer not to have morning classes so I can lounge around in the morning. The CDC even says that schools start too early, leading to poor performance. I work better in the afternoons and at night so I prefer to have later classes and stay up to finish assignments. Knowing this affects the way I pick my classes and set my schedule to have the most productive day possible. 

There are plenty of ways to plan your days. I prefer to plot my day on Google Calendar. It allows me to check on my calendar every day from my phone or computer and make adjustments on the spot.  There is no need to remember to write something down every week because I can set it to reoccurring. I also find that it’s one less thing to remember to carry. Also, if professors keep Canvas up to date, you can add your assignment calendar to your Google Calendar to stay up to date on when everything is due. 

There is no need to physically remember events or assignments because you can set your notifications to alert you. It also allows for the best visualization of your week. You can see your week and find the gaps to do homework, hang with friends, workout or have some me time. 

For those who prefer pen and paper, there is always getting a planner from the bookstore or online. They provide a much-needed way to not only plan your week, but journal and self-reflect.

In a time where stress is at an all-time high and hectic schedules dominate our lives, it may seem like we can never manage our time well. If we just sit down and find what type of schedule we like and which way to keep track of it, we can achieve what we thought to be impossible. Like everything else on Earth, time management takes effort. Next time you have a break in your busy schedule, use it to reflect on what will make you better at time management.