How to Manage Your Time in College

I have always struggled with the problem of procrastination. It seems that my mind will not allow me to complete something early if it is not due until the next week. For some reason I always find myself sitting down the night before a project is due or the night before my big exam and I have yet to start working or studying. When you are in college, it is very difficult to procrastinate and still get everything completed, so I'd like to offer some advice on how you can still get everything done:

1- Write Everything Down

You're sitting in a lecture and your teacher tells you that you have a homework assignment due the following Tuesday. Instead of writing it down, you make a mental note to complete it- then life gets in the way and as you sit in class the following Tuesday you realize that you are going to get a 0 for the forgotten homework and this will take your final grade down by 3 points. Don't let that happen again. Instead, start writing down what you have to do. At the beginning of each week I sit down and make a list of everything that I need to complete that week. I write down each course individually and add bullet points under them where I can write in the things that I have to complete, and then I leave blank bullets for when I am sitting in class and the teacher makes a surprise announcement about homework or a quiz. I also write the other things I have to do that week, such as sports practices and work. By making a list you will find it a lot easier to manage your time and eliminate the stress caused by a forgotten assignment. I would also suggest getting a calendar or daily planner. This makes it easier to keep up with what is due when.

2- Minimize Facebook Time

We are all guilty of spending countless hours on Facebook over the course of a week, and this causes us to fall behind on what is really important. I know you want to chat with your friends and see what's going on in the world, but try to make your time spent on Facebook dwindle a little. You will save a lot of time and can allot that towards more important things like completing homework and studying.

3- Make a Plan

After writing down what you have to do, and logging off of Facebook you should be able to sit down and make a plan for when you plan to accomplish the tasks at hand. This doesn't mean that you have to complete assignments a week ahead of time. Just figure out when you are going to do them so that you definitely have the time to get it done. For example, I had a big project due this morning at 8 am, so I planned to complete it last night. Yes, that is procrastination, but I cleared up my schedule last night so that I would have nothing to do but complete my project- and guess what? I got it done!

If you simply follow these three simple steps, you will definitely be able to effectively manage your time while in college. You don't have to let school consume your life. Instead, take control and plan out when you will get everything done- trust me, it makes life so much easier.