Time Management for College Students

Time management is a common issues that I have found when working with college freshman. There are several things that contribute to time management issues.

To start, students no longer have their parents holding them accountable every day. Many students never needed to study in high school, but once they enter college they become overwhelmed because they do not know how to study (regardless of their academic caliber). More often than not, a student that struggles with time management will also struggle academically. Time management is not rocket science. With a few minor tweaks and the addition of a few new tools to their academic “tool box”, the struggling student will be back on track in no time.

• Planner - This is where it all begins. For many, it is difficult to develop the habit of writing down assignments in the day planner. Many students know their assignments are due, but that doesn’t help them budget their time effectively. If students do not budget their time, they are more likely to feel rushed and which causes them not to produce their best work. There several cool alternative calendar options that students can use to optimize their time. Most email servers have a built in calendar function that are easy to navigate. I can’t forget the iPod Touch or iPad, both provide outstanding solutions for time management.
• Study/Homework Area - This is a must. Once the student has all of their assignments accounted for, they need to identify where they will complete their assignments. The venue can change, but the student has to make sure that they can focus while working in that environment. For some students, it is not helpful to work on their assignments in the dorms because of all the distractions. However, this working in the dorms is fine for some students because they can produce quality work despite the distraction. This is where the student needs to be completely honest, and identify a work environment that is most conducive to their learning needs. Regardless of where the student does their homework, the need to have all your study material on site! It doesn’t work well if the student needs to run back and forth across campus to get all of their study material.

What do you think?

Best,

EC