Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Practice Effective Time Management Skills In College

College gives you more freedom, so you'll need to structure your time yourself.


Effective time management skills are needed in order to balance fun and studies in college. When you're in college you'll have many opportunities to enjoy yourself. However, you'll also have to pass all your college classes if you want to get a degree and move up in life. If you utilize effective time management skills in college, you'll have enough energy to excel in school and your social life.


Instructions


1. Use a planner to practice effective time management. There are two types of planners that you can use, including hand-held planners where you write everything down and online planners where you type up your schedule for the day. A calendar can take the place of a planner as well. A good online planner/calendar that many people use is Google Calendar. Write down your goals, homework and the tasks that you'd like to do for the day in your planner/calendar and you'll be able to stay organized.


2. Start off slow and work your way up when you first begin college. Find one or two clubs that you like and stick with them for a week. If you can handle them and do well in school at the same time, add a sport or add partying to your schedule. Include more fun activities after a few weeks if all is well. Drop a club or party less if you begin to feel stressed. Try to find the right balance.


3. Don't overwork yourself while at college. If you believe you can't stay up late one night, don't. You'll have plenty of time for fun tomorrow. Also, keep those college studies in mind and make sure you leave enough room in your schedule to study before going to bed.


4. Understand your priorities. Never put school studies second and fun activities first. The whole purpose of going to college is to acquire your college degree and begin your career. Don't jeopardize your future for a few extra hours of fun.


5. Schedule time for breaks, meals and exercise. You don't want to go about your day studying without eating, since meals are your main source of energy. Breaks and exercise will help alleviate your stress.


6. Pace yourself. You'll get more done if you set a time goal for each activity that you do. Instead of studying whenever you get the urge, try to study for an an hour each day in addition to homework. Use a timer to practice more effective time management skills.


7. Be responsible at college. You're an adult now, so act like it. Be careful with your choices and think each decision through carefully. Shape your future early so that when you get into the real world, your transition will be easier.


8. Choose your daily routines wisely. Remember, each college student is different. A daily routine for someone else may not work for you. It might be beneficial if you do homework first thing after class to get it over with. This way, the information that you've learned in class will be fresh in your mind when you start your homework and you won't have to worry about your homework later during the day.

Tags: effective time management, management skills, time management skills, your schedule, about your