The First Step: Know Yourself
Dr. Edward O’Keefe, author of Self Management for College Students: The ABC Approach, recommends that you look at the big picture of your life and figure out what’s important to you. He suggests writing down your big goals for college. Don’t limit yourself to academic ones. “You should use college to develop the rest of yourself, in addition to your academic side,” explains O’Keefe.

Next, decide when, where, and how you work best. Ask yourself these questions:
• Do I work best with an intense or more laid-back schedule? Some people thrive on having an ultra-packed lifestyle; others get overwhelmed.
• Am I a morning or evening person? Some students have a tough time in the morning, but others are like Leah McConaughey, from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. “I know that I get up early and can’t stay up late at night,” she says. “So forcing myself to study late is a waste of time.”
• Can I tune out distractions easily? The answer will tell you whether you’ll be able to study in a rowdy dorm or whether you’ll have to head to the library.

Staying On Track
Once you’ve figured out how you operate best, start to make time management a habit. Follow these guidelines:
• Keep track. Students who write down all they have to do often find they have more free time than they thought. Using a laptop, a handheld organizer, day planner, or notebook, list your activities and deadlines in order of when they have to
be done.
• Seek balance. Don’t overload yourself. Scheduling all your classes on two or three days can turn ugly.
• Don’t waste the daytime. Freshmen often wait until night to do their work. Instead of hanging out in the student lounge during free periods, use that hour between classes to hit the books.
• Give yourself a break. Make sure your schedule includes short periods to recharge. If you can limit yourself to fifteen or twenty minutes, now is the time to relax in the student lounge. But if you’ll get too distracted, reward yourself with a cup of tea or hot chocolate instead.
• Ask professors for help. Teachers are human and, for the most part, willing to consider solutions if you get into a jam.
• Get credit for work you do outside of class. Jennifer Adams, from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, took on the task of maintaining her school newspaper’s website, and she was able to use that work for her final journalism project. Finding clever ways to “double up” like that can save time.
• Don’t sweat the small stuff. Things like laundry can fall through the cracks and that’s okay. “The only person who sees my dirty laundry is me,” says Adams. “It needs to get done, but is the world going to stop if it doesn’t? Probably not.”

Time Tip
“Keep a calendar! It can be as simple as a notebook with the date and a list of stuff to do. No one will be there to nag you about homework. I live by my “to-do” lists. And when I cross things off, I can see how much I’ve accomplished.”

Time Tip
“School should be treated like a full-time job. People who work full-time are at it from 8 am to 5 pm. Getting an education is your job, so in between classes do homework and study. You’ll have a lot more time in the evenings to do things you enjoy.”

Source: CareersandColleges.com