So, the saying is true. Time flies when you least expect it. Yet, how is it that time can always be slipping away from us?
We’re only human; we run late, miss deadlines, and occasionally forget to do things. But it all revolves around time. Students at MU are trying to master the ways of time management to rid themselves of any lateness whatsoever.
I know that if I could have one super power (other than flying), it would be the ability to control time. I would be a “time-bender.” If I had to meet a tight deadline but was short on time, I would magically give myself an extra two hours to get it done.
What a perfect world.
However, I have created some great tips to managing time and making time your friend, not your worst enemy. You do not have to do all of them- unless you want to be super-crazy organized, then by all means, go for it. But just by doing one of these, you will find that time will become your friend.
Keep your long-term goals in sight: I find that making a to-do list for the week is a good way to achieve your long-term goals. It may seem a bit overwhelming at first, but crossing things off of the list will alleviate stress and keep you focused and driven.
Schedule anything that you are aware of for that week: In your planner, write down any work times, social events, and even some study breaks to give yourself some down time. Scheduling on a calendar helps you see your weeks and allows planning accordingly.
Start planning tomorrow at the end of today: This way you can know what to expect for the next day and you can set a list of priorities for yourself to make sure that you can check them off your list.
However, it is often easy to stop a task and immediately deal with anything that can be considered a small distraction, and as college students, let’s admit it, we can get easily distracted. But if something new distracts your attention, it is okay to come back to it later.
There is always tomorrow: Like any other skill, it takes patience to learn how to manage your time. Even professionals have days when their whole schedule falls apart, and if you are having one of those days, don’t give up on time management. Instead, pick up the pieces and start again the next day. Review your schedules at the end of each week to see what you did and didn’t do. Build on your successes as you develop plans for the following weeks.
Those are just some of my methods of handling time management. I also have post-its to last a lifetime. But hopefully you will utilize these tips and make time management your best friend, instead of worst enemy.
Students at MU who are immensely involved have their own ways to handle their time issues, and they don’t even know it. Ashley Alvaravo, sophomore, has to handle time between schoolwork, having an internship, pledging for a sorority, and commuting to and from home to MU.
“I use a planner and schedule on my phone religiously,” Alvaravo said. “Honestly, commuting and doing schoolwork is hard, but having a good work ethic gets me by.”
Some students, however, acknowledge that time management is really difficult to master. Junior Joe Boyle understands that people might not know how long something will take to finish.
“The most difficult thing to understand is that tasks are usually going to take longer than you think,” said Boyle. “Always over estimate how long it is going to take because you would rather finish up early than end up being late.”
And yet, there are students who need to sacrifice certain times of their day, and classes, in order to make sure that they get done with their work. Sophomore, Chelsea Schimpf, admits that she has done this before.
“I had to skip class because I left a big project until the last minute, and I just didn’t have the time to finish it,” Schimpf said. “Had I not skipped, I wouldn’t have finished it.”
We aren’t all perfect with our time management skills. All college students experience the time management crunches of our classes. We face distractions, interruptions, and little things that can take away from our priorities and cause us to lose a little bit of time. But we are only human; we do not have the ability to perfect everything at one time. The key is to make sure that you prioritize realistically. Never over schedule yourself, and take things day by day.
For right now, make a to-do list and enjoy the amazing feeling of crossing things off of it. And now I can officially cross this article off of my to-do list.
IMAGE TAKEN from blog.ivywise.com
