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Quick Tips
- Use a schedule to plot our all your courses.
- Change which subject you study to maintain energy and focus.
- Plan rewards.
- Study in one hour blocks if you have the time: 50 minutes of study time with a 10 minute break.
- Work ahead. Give yourself wiggle room on due dates.
- Do the tough stuff first.
- Work until you complete all your tasks for the day. Future you will be happy you did.
What is Time Management?
Time Management is how you control your time, which is an essential life skill that allows you to balance your academic, work, and leisure time. By achieving this balance you are more likely to succeed and less likely to be stressed.
Build Your Skills
Need help keeping things on track? The College Success Skills Center has tutorials to help with goal setting, multitasking, getting organized, and managing your time.
To get started, visit the College Success Skills Center and click on Organizational Strategies.
Time Management Strategies
Spend a few days journaling your activities. It doesn't have to be detailed, just note what you do throughout the day and how much time you dedicate to each task.
Example:
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday |
| 7:30 Woke up/Breakfast | 12:00-12:30 Drove home | 12:00-2:45 Played Game |
| 7:30-8:00 Drove to Class | 12:30-2:00 Watched TV | 2:45-7:30 Sleep |
| 8:00-9:00 Math class | 2:00-6:35 Sleep | 7:30 Woke up/Breakfast |
| 9:00-12:00 Study | 6:35-7:30 Watched TV/studied | 7:45-8:00 Drove to Class |
| 12:00-1:00 Lunch w/ Aiden | 7:30-8:00 Drove to Work | 8:00-9:00 Math class |
| 1:00-2:00 English Class | 8:00-4:00 Work | 9:00-11:00 Study |
| 2:00-2:30 Nap | 4:00-4:30 Drove to Class | 11:00-12:00 Lunch |
| 2:30-3:00 Drove to work | 4:30-5:00 Nap | 12:00-9:00 Work |
| 3-12:00 Work | 5:00-7:00 Digital Art | 9:00-9:30 Drove to Michael's |
| 7:00-7:30 Drove Home | 9:30-12:00 Hung out | |
| 7:30-11:45 Homework | ||
| 11:45-12:00 Played Game |
By charting out the time we can see just how balanced (or in this case unbalanced) time is being spent.
Ideally, throughout the week you want to make sure that what you want to do (leisure), what you need to do (sleeping, eating, commuting, etc.), your work, and school times are in sync. If you see you are devoting too much time to one area, try to see how you can limit time in one area to help balance. This may require learning new methods or trying something different.
Time Management Apps
- Any.DoAny.do (iOS/Android) allows you to organize your day by allowing you to create reminders, to-do lists, notes and events and store them on the clean and easy-to-use Any.do interface.
- Remember the MilkIf you are struggling to manage everything you have to do and you work with many different devices, this app is for you. It is a great free tool which is compatible with your mobile, computer, gmail, outlook, etc. It helps you to manage your tasks easily and reminds you of them wherever you are.
- HabiticaHabitica is a free habit-building and productivity app that treats your real life like a game. With in-game rewards and punishments to motivate you and a strong social network to inspire you, Habitica can help you achieve your goals to become healthy, hard-working, and happy.
- Today Habit trackerToday is your free personal habit tracker that helps you organize your day and build life-changing habits. Quit bad habits and stay on track with Today's unique visual and rewarding approach based on proven methods from behavioral science.