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RISE Blog | Time Management is Life Management

Written By: Mariah Carlo, Faith Dolan, Avery Matak, & Andrea Nunez, Peer Educators
Edited By: Silas James & Elizabeth Perry
May 3rd, 2024

 

You're busy. I'm busy. We're all trying to do everything, all the time. Having to take up shifts at work, go to class, study for exams, and engage in extracurricular activities can make it feel like we don't have the time to devote to everything we'd like to. Thankfully, with time management, we can lessen the burden of a full plate and incorporate free time and time to relax. It can seem impossible to go to class, study, and work while also having fun, but with good time management skills, you can make the improbable possible.

Time management is a high-reward skill which can directly contribute to “reduced procrastination, increased academic performance, and improved personal well-being” (Wolters & Brady, 2020). When backed by quality effort and focus, it can be an effective way to improve your quality of life.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

You've probably heard the phrase work smarter, not harder. Working smarter means adjusting your schedule to be more efficient. Before diving into creating schedules or to-do lists, it's helpful to organize your thoughts and think about what is best for you to get your work done. Organization strategies are an important part of time management, and it's key to be realistic and flexible with yourself. 

First, identify timewasters. Timewasters are behaviors “that reflect a misappropriation of time and effort” which can lower academic performance and increase stress and anxiety (Wolters & Brady, 2020). Habits like spending too much time scrolling online or putting off homework until the last minute may be hard to avoid or eliminate, but it is possible if you start small and adjust along the way, and can really increase your productivity!

Another way to help organization is to space out your work based on the difficulty or energy consumption a task takes. This can mean taking breaks, studying for hard exams a little bit each day, or saving a hard assignment for your day off from work. Spacing out your work gives your brain the opportunity to rest so that you can get back to your work with a clearer mind. Taking breaks decreases the chance of burnout and betters concentration (Suleiman, 2023). Learning how to space out tasks may take some trial and error, but it can help improve our efficiency. 

Next, use your knowledge of yourself to your advantage. You know yourself best, so consider your personal rhythm and use it to your advantage (Harvard Summer School, 2022). Is it easier to study in a coffee shop than the library? Do you work best in the morning, afternoon, or night? Do you work best if you designate a day to do nothing? Taking note of what does and doesn't work for you can help you accomplish more long-term.

Don't be afraid to try out new routines. New routines can help you explore options for organization, scheduling, and note-taking. Sometimes a change in routine can be refreshing and can help you discover new ways to learn. Something as minor as choosing to study in a new space or taking notes on paper instead of using a laptop can offer unexpected benefits. If you're struggling with ideas, don't worry – we'll cover some more ideas later in the ‘Tools' section of this blog.

Consulting others can be a great way to create new routines or habits. Everyone has something different that works for them, and asking friends about how they organize their time could inspire you. Similarly, this can be used to identify what doesn't work or could possibly hinder you. Your friends and roommates are also great resources to help keep you accountable. 

Finally, visualize and walk through your typical schedule. Make a to-do list and look at the big picture of what you need to get done before making your schedule for the day or week to help you work more efficiently. Visualizing your schedule is a useful tool by allowing you to make note of free time and fill that space with something else (including rest!). Consider your everyday routine, such as class schedule, mealtimes, or workouts, and plan other tasks around it. 

Overall, “time management isn't just about sticking to a rigid schedule—it's also about giving yourself space for change” (Harvard Summer School, 2022). Being a student feels a little bit less overwhelming when you have awareness and management over what goes on in your day-to-day life. 

Prioritizing 

As college students, we all know that there are different levels of importance and value to certain kinds of responsibilities. For example, we know that making time and attending to our own well-being should be a high priority. Without self-care, you can't perform at your best. Similarly, you have to prioritize your physical health. Studying off three hours of sleep, for example, will not set you up for peak performance. Everyone  (Medium, 2023). To do this, consider your typical daily schedule, when are you most active? What time commitments do you usually have and when? 

Good nutrition and scheduling mealtimes is essential for both physical and mental health. Food is energy for both our body and our minds. Making time to eat different meals is necessary for balance and health. Sleep should also be a top priority, your body has sleep and wake cycles influenced by your internal clock. Prioritizing work over sleep just means, both will be sacrificed. Prioritizing sleep means that both your body and work will be in better condition. Studies show that lack of sleep causes cognitive inhibitions which negatively impacts performance (Harvard Summer School, 2021). Additionally, the CDC equates a prolonged lack of sleep as having similar inhibitions to a BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) of 0.10 (which is higher than the legal limit to drive).

Think about your mental health when thinking about how you spend our time. Reflect on what helps free up mental space and aim to prioritize these tasks, paying attention to the energy required for each task to prepare to avoid overwhelming yourself. Your physical and mental condition are vital for your productivity and should be taken seriously when trying to improve your livelihood.

Motivation can be key and giving yourself something to look forward to makes it easier to stay motivated. Recharge by utilizing the free time you have away from school and work to reconnect with interests and passions or spend time with others. Making plans with yourself or others is necessary to maintain balance and is more refreshing than you may think. Even just coming home and cuddling with your cat or watching TV with your roommates can improve your day.  

Deadlines and due dates are important, but they shouldn't take away from your self-care. Plan times to study and work and create an outline for building your schedule and to-do lists. If you're feeling completely overwhelmed and like you can't catch up, don't be afraid to reach out to your professor and be honest about your needs. Your professor might be willing to work with you on deadlines and requirements—it never hurts to ask for help!

Tools

There are lots of strategies for using your time efficiently. Self-Regulated Learning is an effective framework for time management where you teach yourself how to learn better. This strategy helps you plan how you dedicate your time to tasks, ultimately helping you make improvements to your schedule. With this, you can improve how you spend your time learning, creating more time for other commitments.

The Pomodoro technique breaks large tasks into chunks, which means “working for a focused period (typically 25 minutes) and then taking a short break (around 5 minutes). After completing four of these cycles, take a longer break (15-30 minutes) to recharge” (Suleiman, 2023). In addition, utilizing tools can help stay on top of deadlines.

There are also an abundance of resources and tools available to make your organization effective and applicable to your day-to-day routine. Using a digital or paper calendar can be helpful and putting dates in at least a week in advance gives you a good look at your overall schedule. At RISE, we like to use Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar!

Take advantage of automatic reminders and note-taking on the fly. Reminders are helpful for quick, on-the-go interactions, and it can be helpful to have a quick and accessible way of noting something important on a busy day. You can make notes and set reminders right from your phone (which most of us always have in our hands). Some ways to do this are your phone's notes app, Notion, or Google Keep.

If you prefer to write things in a more detailed layout, a planner gives you the option of detailed planning in a monthly, weekly, and daily view. Most sources will recommend using a planner because it combines the calendar and dates aspect of time management while incorporating sections for notes, reflections, and reminders! There are digital planners (such as Notion) and physical paper planners, so choose what works best for you! 

Consistency is Key

The more effort you put into your time management, the more satisfying results you'll see.

It is important to stay aware of what works for you and what doesn't. Tracking your development can be encouraging or helpful for determining how you can improve. Be intentional and purposeful; if you don't have a purpose in mind, try to think of one! Keep reminding yourself why you're investing your time into this. 

If you set aside dedicated time for organizing your time, you are actively engaging in time management! When you consider time management an important responsibility, it starts to become natural. The beginning of the week or month are ideal times to dedicate to practicing these skills. Doing this can help kick-start productivity and help you enter a new cycle with a clear mind and focused energy. 

Don't forget to make it fun for you! There are so many options for adding personalization to your time management strategies, such as decorating or theming your planners for holidays or seasons. Make sure to reward yourself for sustaining the routine to keep your motivation up!  

It can be helpful to find support and consultation. There are many programs both on and off campus that assist with time-management and other related advising, such as the Learning Center, academic advisors, and the Raider Success Hub. Off-campus, you can find help from MindTools (podcasts, blogs, videos, articles for time management and more professional skills) or search for tools and advice on various universities' sites and publications. There is no shame in having questions or seeking out advice, and these resources are meant to help! 

You Can Do it!

Time management is a multidimensional and varied concept, but with time and intentional use, your skills will improve! By organizing your responsibilities and goals, you can recognize and establish the level of priority in these tasks and choose from a variety of tools and services to help maintain and up-keep your system. It is worth investing your time and energy towards organizing your time –management skills for your professional development and managing other sectors of your life. Time management may seem intimidating, but start small and continue developing your skills and you will become a pro at managing your time.

Resources

References:

Parsons, L. (2022). 8 time management tips for students. Harvard Summer School. 

Wolters, C. A., Brady, A. C. (2021). College students' time management: a self-regulated learning perspective. Springer Link. 

Suleiman, G. A. (2023). Boost your productivity: the power of spacing out your work day. LinkedIn 

Saunder, E. G. (2017). A way to plan if you're bad at planning. Harvard Business Review. 

Dartmouth. (2023). Time management tips. Dartmouth Academic Skills Center. 

Harvard Medical School. (2021). Science of sleep: what is sleep?. Division of Sleep Medicine. 

Harvard Summer School. (2021). Why You Should Make a Good Night's Sleep a Priority. Harvard Summer School

 

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