How to effectively manage your time

College is a big transition for everyone. Going from a scheduled plan of set classes per day in high school to free time in which you must create your daily schedule can be difficult.
Watching students over the course of four years has shown me two things in regards to time management: people don’t do it, and people procrastinate.
I’m currently in my sixth semester as a writer for The Bona Venture; the last three, I’ve held editorial positions. I’ve had countless writers tell me, “I can’t write this week, I’m just too busy.” Since I hate conflict, my typical response is, “That’s fine!” In reality, however, I’ve just always been confused how these people manage to not have the time to get their responsibilities done.
I’d consider myself to be a bit more conscientious than an average student. I frequently find myself sacrificing sleep in order to get things done, but I don’t like settling for average, and sometimes in order to achieve that, sacrifices, usually sleep, have to be made.
However, one interesting thing I’ve come to realize about my jam-packed schedule is the more things I have going on, the more productive I am. The calendar app on my phone looks like a rainbow with all the classes, practices and other events I have going on, all color-coordinated of course.
The weirder part is when I don’t have a lot on my schedule, usually Fridays and Saturdays, I’m not productive, because I don’t have a set schedule of things to get done and a plan for when to do what.
This isn’t to say I don’t procrastinate, I just make sure when I am, I stop before I get too far behind in my work.
My intention here isn’t to brag about how great I am about managing my time, but instead to offer suggestions of how others can take advantage of some of the tactics I use to make sure I’m not missing things or getting behind on work.
The calendar app is just one example. I also highly recommend making check lists, whether that’s using post-its or using the Notes app, as a way to ensure you know what there is to do each day.
Planners are also great as a way to lay out when assignments are due and when tests are, and while I don’t find planners to be helpful for me, I know lots of people swear by them and write down literally everything in their planners.
The main “feature” of the calendar app I find makes it the most handy way of organization is the ability to see when there is space throughout the day. Being able to click an app and seeing when I have lifting, class and practice and when I have some time in between to do homework or squeeze in a power nap.
Time management is the toughest adjustment to college. Many students say they did nearly no homework or studying in high school, which isn’t possible in college. Finding time to balance all of your responsibilities can seem impossible at first, but using some simple methods to get yourself organized and stay on top of everything going on can make managing time in college a breeze.