Sometimes college can throw students into a whole new realm of life that, in some ways, feels much more relaxed than high school. In fact, many first-year college students feel that they have more more free time than ever. And yet, as the weeks go by, you may begin to feel that balancing classes, studying, work demands, social distractions, clubs and organizations, is not as easy as you anticipated.
One simple way to get started on managing your days and weeks is to keep track of everything that you do for three days. It may seem crazy at first to write down how much time you spend on little things (like Facebook, gaming, emails, eating, sleeping (and napping!), and exercising), but they are all part of life that you will want to account for.
Once you have an idea of how you are spending your time, you can use a time management calendar or scheduler to figure out what you need to do and when. There are tons of options online, but the one available to you through our website (www.bsu.edu/advising) has been designed specifically with Ball State students in mind!
Here are some helpful tips as you try to create some time management strategies that work for you:
- Use your syllabi to write in important dates/deadlines
- Don't over-schedule yourself. Remember you need to eat and sleep!
- Review your calendar for the term often to make sure that you are not missing important tests and project deadlines.
- Write in everything you "must do" (work, class, dinner, etc.)
- Feel free to write in what you "want" to do as well.
