During one period in college, I juggled three different jobs while taking a full course load.
Somehow, even with roughly 60 hours of work per week outside of classes, I still earned two A’s and one B.
There are many students who, like me, balance a multitude of responsibilities and pressure. We succeed because we share one key skill: excellent time management.
But even if you aren’t juggling several jobs along with classes, staying on top of everything during the academic year can be challenging. Between clubs, studying and trying to keep a social life, you can start to feel like everything is piling up.
If you need a reset, here’s a quick primer on time management for college students. These pointers should help you thrive and get the most out of your college experience.
1. Put Everything on Paper
When your list of obligations feels endless, it’s easy to forget tasks. In college, missing something can seriously hurt your semester grades.
A study in Psychological Science found that taking notes by hand rather than on a laptop enhances memory retention.
Participants listened to lectures and used their usual note-taking style. Results showed that students who used longhand performed better on tests about the material.
Why? Those using laptops tended to transcribe lectures verbatim, while pen-and-paper note-takers summarized and rephrased concepts. That approach forces deeper processing. Typing often becomes mindless transcription without comprehension.
The takeaway for time management in college: jot down everything you must do and the deadlines. Important dates and tasks stick better in your head when written. You’ll be less likely to miss tests or due dates.
Think about using a physical planner. Digital calendars and notification apps are handy, but it’s easy to ignore them until they pop up.
You don’t need to spend much on a planner. Here’s a way to make your own and save money!
2. Rank Your Tasks
I like to create a to-do list every morning and place the most urgent items at the top.
By prioritizing, I can clearly see what must be done that day and what can wait until tomorrow if necessary.
At day’s end, I move any unfinished tasks to the top of the next day’s list. This keeps me on course!
3. Separate Study Time and Free Time
Knowing when to buckle down and when to unwind gives your routine a healthy balance.
To avoid feeling like you’re chained to your textbooks, make sure you fully enjoy leisure time when it’s scheduled.
For instance, I recently took an impromptu weekend trip to Savannah with coworkers. It was unplanned, but I completed my assignments beforehand so I could genuinely relax while there. You do what you must!
Likewise, don’t scroll through social media in the library. FOMO is real, but good time management helps you avoid it. Do the studying when it’s time, and you’ll be free to enjoy activities later.
4. Find a Balance Between Work and Classes
If you, like me, need to support yourself while in school, you probably have a part-time or full-time job. That means when you aren’t in class, you’re likely at work. How do you find time to study?
My best tip is to schedule your week so you have at least two full days off work. If that seems impossible, take an extra shift on a day you already work to free up other days. Do whatever it takes to secure at least two days off each week.
Be extremely productive on those days off. Finish assignments. Catch up on readings. Compensate for time you’ll be short on. Don’t waste these days — they’re hard to recover from.
As much as we want to think wecando everything, the truth is we can’t. Eventually something has to give. Because college is a significant investment, your coursework should alwayscome first.
5. Prioritize Sleep
You’ve probably heard this before: without enough sleep, your brain doesn’t operate at peak performance.
A study in the January 2013 issue of Child Development reported that students who slept less than usual experienced more academic troubles the following day than when they had their normal sleep.
The reason: REM sleep helps your brain sort through thoughts and memories, organizing them so they’re easier to retrieve.
Without sufficient REM, your mind becomes cluttered. Consequently, concentrating and retaining information—during class or study sessions—becomes harder.
Time management means making the most of every minute you devote to a task. Poor sleep undermines that!
Along the same lines, pulling all-nighters is a bad strategy. Cramming is less effective because your brain is taxed and exhausted.
To prevent this, break up your study sessions and tackle one section at a time. A week or so before an exam, you should have already reviewed all topics. Use the final week to revise and target weak spots. Focusing on problem areas is far more effective than trying to absorb everything at once.
6. Stay Flexible
One piece of advice from a manager stuck with me: it’s okay if you don’t complete your whole to-do list.
Often people overestimate how much they can accomplish, which leads to stress and feeling overwhelmed.
Be willing to reshuffle tasks. Your to-do list or timetable should be a guide, not a strict mandate you beat yourself up over.
If your list isn’t finished by day’s end, don’t panic. There’s always tomorrow to tackle it!
7. Choose Extracurriculars Wisely
Getting involved on campus is valuable. It looks good on a resume and helps you make connections and gain skills employers value.
Knowing that, you might be tempted to join everything—fraternities, the campus paper, honor societies, and maybe the knitting circle—but juggling too many groups becomes difficult.
Pick a handful that truly interest you and commit to those. It’s better to have a few meaningful commitments than many you barely attend.Would you rather be asked in an interview, “Tell me about your role in your school’s Marketing Association,” and have to admit you only went to two meetings because the movie club distracted you? Prioritizing activities helps you cultivate useful skills over time.
8. Treat Yourself Well
This might be the most crucial tip on the list.
Remember to prioritize your well-being during hectic stretches. If you’re exhausted at 2 a.m. and need sleep, then sleep. If you want a 30-minute break to stare at the ceiling, go for it.
Doing what replenishes you will keep you focused and mentally healthy—just consider the consequences afterward and tweak your schedule or to-do list as needed.
Taking care of yourself leads to a more positive outlook on your workload, making busy periods far more manageable across the semester!
Your Turn: How do you manage your time in college? Share your tips in the Facebook comments!
Jamie Carter is a senior staff writer and audience coordinator at Savinly and a student at the University of Tampa. She’s relieved she only works one job these days.
