Five tips to manage your time better

College is unlike high school in so many ways. You no longer have a set Monday-Friday schedule, and most importantly, there is nobody to tell you what to do all the time.

Yes, you are an adult now.

It may sound fun and exciting because there’s nobody on your back at all hours of the day, but as you go through college, you come to an understanding that that’s exactly what you need.

When I made the transition from high school to college, I knew things were going to be different but I didn’t think it would be to the extent it was.

College gave me a reality check on how much my time management sucked.

I would think that I have enough time to be social all weekend and push my assignments for Sunday, but that only set me up to struggle.

Every. Single. Week.

You would have thought that I would be sick of stressing myself out trying to make deadlines, but I was stuck in this bad procrastination cycle.

One of the main pieces of advice anybody could give you when starting college is to manage your time.

It is one of the largest battles undergrad students go through every year!

If you are just starting school, or have been in school for quite some time, consider taking these five tips to better manage your time.

1. Create a routine

I believe in high school, we felt a bit more organized because we had a set schedule each weekday. We knew what classes we were taking and when we were taking them. We knew what after school activities we were going to do. In college, your Mondays aren’t going to look like your Thursdays. You need to take the initiative to create yourself an organized (and realistic schedule). Put in the time that you are going to be in class, the time you intend to study, and whatever extracurricular you decide to involve yourself in. If you create and most importantly stick to your schedule, you can find your time being managed a lot better.

2. Get organized

Being organized is so important in undergrad. Truthfully, being unorganized can affect your college experience and your grades. You can forget about important assignments by simply not doing yourself a favor and organizing your coursework and day to day life. Lifehack gives more detailed advice on how you can organize your life. https://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/how-organize-your-life-10-habits-really-organized-people.html

3. Use your technology for good

I know checking your social media is tempting, but let’s try and use your technology for good. That calendar on your phone can be used to get you organized and layout your routine. I use Google Calendar. I get notified 30 minutes before every event. I can truly say that it has been a lifesaver throughout my years. Set reminders on your phone. Create sticky notes on your laptop. Everyone is not the same, so remind yourself in ways best suited for yourself.

4. Avoid procrastination

Don’t use the infamous “due tomorrow, do tomorrow” quote to get you through your four years. You will find yourself with a head full of grey hair upon graduation. It’s unnecessary stress to put assignments off at the last minute when you can simply get them out the way and enjoy yourself later. Give yourself time to do assignments. Sometimes you may have a question on the assignment but since you waited so late to complete it, you don’t have time to ask questions on it. This happened to me many times and my grade reflected it. When I don’t procrastinate, I feel much better about myself and I feel less guilty when deadlines start to approach. Do yourself a favor and take the initiative to feel good about yourself.

5. Don’t overwhelm yourself

Although you will find yourself pushed in every direction, make sure you don’t burn yourself out. When making your schedule, leave personal time for yourself. Sometimes I feel as if we confuse free time with available time for work. That is not always the case. It is important to keep up with your studies. It’s just as important to keep up with yourself. Don’t forget to get your college experience (that is on responsible terms of course).

Managing your time better not only makes college easier, it also makes your life easier. These same tips can be used after undergrad. These are more so life tips. I feel as if everyone can benefit from this.

And although I am speaking in the past tense, I can still relate to this struggle to this day.