College is a stressful time with a ton of opportunities at your disposal. So far in college, I have experienced the “do nothing” era and the “do everything” era. With that, these are time management tips I have learned along the way that have absolutely saved me in college.

Plan It Out

The biggest thing I had to learn was to write everything down in my planner and to use google calendar. I use my paper planner for my school assignments and tests, and I make sure to do this at the beginning of the semester to avoid any confusion. Anything that you can find on the syllabus that has a due date should go in this planner! I use google calendar for my personal and professional day to day plans; this gives me a visual of what my day looks like based on the hour. There is a clear difference between the use in both, but this allows me to see what I need to complete scholastically and what commitments I may have for my personal & work life.

Make A To-Do list

Alongside using planners, creating a to-do list is necessary! I create a list of what I absolutely need to complete for school that day, and sometimes another list of what I would like to get ahead on. The lists allow me to get a quick grasp of what I have in front of me and what kind of freedom I have in the day. Creating to-do lists also gives you extra satisfaction when you cross your items off.

Set Boundaries

The last thing I had to learn about time management was to learn to say ‘no’. There are going to be a lot of times that “FOMO” will get the best of you. If there is a lot on your plate for the day, either work super hard or realize you cannot handle another commitment for the day. There’s always another time for fun; be real with yourself and realize what you can juggle!

There is always room for improvement with 24 hours in a day. My biggest recommendation is to begin using Google Calendar religiously; understand what assignments you must complete and where your free time lies after other commitments. Try to stay consistent and create habits in your routine; this will allow you to find a lot of loopholes in what you can get accomplished and how fast. Time management isn’t easy but try to implement these tips into your daily life and see if you notice a change!

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