Academic Success

Time Management

Studies show that students who are involved in more activities usually make better grades. How do they find the time to do it all? Good time management skills! 

Here are four helpful steps which may help you:

Establish a weekly schedule.
  • Schedule your fixed time commitments (class, lab, work, meetings)
  • Schedule in study times which relate to your personal study habits (short increments, daytime, night time, etc.)
  • Don’t forget to allow time for fun, exercise, and other tasks!
  • Be honest. Don’t schedule study time from 8 to 9 am if you’re going to sleep in!
  • Stick to your schedule. After all you took the time to make it!!
Prioritize and set goals and deadlines.
  • Set daily, weekly, and monthly goals. If you accomplish them, reward yourself!
  • Make a list of things to do daily and/or weekly in order of importance. Write when you will do each thing on your list.
  • Schedule specifically. Don’t just write down “study” & #150;specify which subject and how much of it you plan to do. (EX: Read Latin pgs. 12-50).
  • Set deadlines, but allow yourself enough time to complete each assignment.
Plan Ahead.
  • Use the first or last few minutes of each day to plan for the next day
  • Keep a monthly calendar so you can see far in advance when big tests or projects are coming up.
Avoid procrastination.
  • We usually procrastinate when we find a job too large or overwhelming, so make the task smaller by breaking it down into smaller tasks
  • Write a list of detailed instructions on how to do each task.
  • Visualize yourself doing each task. Think of the satisfaction you will get knowing that you’re done or the burden of knowing you still have hours of work ahead of you.
  • If you must put off a task, schedule a new time immediately.

If you would like more information, the Office of Academic Services offers both individual counseling and group workshops on time management. Call extension 1286 to schedule an appointment.