You’ve probably learned by now that college requires multiple demands on your time and that how you spend the 24 hours in a day is predominately up to you. Parents and teachers don’t hold you accountable the same way that they used to- instead, you’re in the driver’s seat.

Now that you’re behind the wheel, how will you stay the course and make sure you’re successful in developing effective time management skills (especially as finals are fast approaching)? Let’s look at some travel tips to help you on this unique road trip:

Managing your time is similar. You first need to consider: what is most important at a given point in time and what can be dropped or put to the side until later? For example, you have the following to accomplish:

Where do these items rank in priority? Once you know this, you should first focus on the top priorities.

Once you’ve got your priorities in order, spend some time thinking about how you are going to accomplish each of them- create an action plan that includes deadlines. It may seem counter-productive to spend precious time determining how you’re going to spend said time, but creating a guide to follow will ultimately help you stay on task and organized. 

We know. It’s tempting to live off of Starbucks espressos and snacks from the vending machine during crunch time. We also know the temptation to pull all-nighters and “sleep when you can.” But without the proper fuel to your body (aka nutrition and rest), your brain will run slower and you will not be as guarded against stress. Make sure to maintain regular sleeping and eating habits even during the busier times like finals week- it may require more advanced planning to make sure you get other things accomplished, but your body will thank you!

Part of managing your time is learning how to plan for the unexpected. A laptop crash or misplaced notes in the 11th hour can make or break your ability to succeed. For this reason, it’s important to carve out enough time before projects are due or exams are scheduled so that you can work through any mishaps that might occur. 

When you’re up against deadlines you’ll likely feel the pressure to power through. But powering through is rarely good for your focus and ability to retain information effectively. Taking small breaks will help you recharge for what’s ahead. Think of the break as your reward for completing a particular task- this will help increase your motivation to continue to check other items off your to-do list.

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The road trip to better time management can be a long one, often with twists and turns. Different semesters and different commitments will challenge how you use your time management skills.  As you may have realized in your first year at UMBC, effective time management skills take time to develop- so embrace the journey! And remember, if you get stranded on the side of the road, there is always someone who you can reach out to for help, whether it’s your professor, your academic advisor, a tutor, etc. 

Check out the resources below to learn more about time management strategies.

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Time Management for Right-Brained People via A Daring Adventure: Here

“Five Stellar Time Management Tips” via CollegeInfoGeek: Here

“Twenty Quick Tips for Better Time Management” via LifeHack: Here

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What tends to be your biggest struggle when it comes to time management?