Before I began college, I made a conscious decision to become better at managing my time. I’ll admit, senioritis hit me hard in my last couple months leading up to graduation. The amount of time I spent debating when and whether I should study at all was greater than the time I spent actually studying.
Before moving into Pitzer, I had gone several months without actually worrying about academics. But all of a sudden I was registering for classes, attending seminars, tutoring Spanish for my work-study, and trying to keep up with readings.
My experience with time management is that it’s not hard making time for academics, but rather being able to do well in your classes while doing what you enjoy. It is completely possible to stay in your dorm all day and read but it doesn’t make for a fulfilling college experience! For example, I love playing sports and my days don’t feel complete without some form of exercise. But since I’m not in any college sport, I don’t have a structured time for getting my daily dose.
With so many responsibilities, it’s easy to tell yourself that you don’t have time for yourself. It becomes a greater challenge to block in time to go to the gym or go out with friends when you have classes from morning to afternoon and a test in 2 days. Not to mention making time for a healthy amount of sleep.
Well I’m here to tell you that with a bit of commitment and will power, managing your time is perfectly doable. If you’re as forgetful as I am, having a calendar (either physical or on your phone) is a necessity. This way you have no excuses for forgetting appointments, and if you use an app you can set daily reminders to block time for certain activities. I personally use Google Calendars which can be synced with your phone’s ability to send you notifications and gives you an easy to use daily view of your appointments. Overall, my dedication to managing my time better has been producing results I am proud of. Thank you for reading!