Time Management and Its Ties to Busy College Students
by Ryan Michael Salfino
When it comes to managing time efficiently when we reach college it is an ideology that sounds too good to be true. The simple truth is that as the 21st century rapidly grows more accustom to the digital world, we will always be busier then those before us. College Students specifically struggle to find a means of balancing time between their academics and social life. We forget to realize that there is a universal truth in which we have 24 hours in a day to get things done that we have to do and also interact with those around us. You have to have this balance to ensure a life that is successful and prosperous.
We all have fallen in a position where a deadline for something looms over us and causes us to fall in a panic because you have five hours until class starts and its 2am in the morning. Instead of working to quickly finish the assignment, we usually text a friend about why we are in the position we put ourselves in rather than fix the problem in itself. This comes down to how we best allow ourselves to control the time we have. Time only moves one way, is limited to 24 hours a day, and waits for nobody.
College Students need to drill into their minds the importance of time management. Now, I can't sit here and tell you with a straight face that I study for hours on end. I still, however, study for an hour or so each day leading up to my test to retain knowledge comfortably instead of cramming it all in the night before the exam or final. College Students, if given the time to think about how their time is spent would find that they most likely are in a position where they should increase productivity. Productivity helps you when using certain time throughout the day to better manage how productive you are.
I can’t stress enough how important it is to practice what you are taught. You never fully know the subject at hand, or else you would be teaching it to the class. This is is how I come to terms with studying. You need to manage your time in order to understand and grasp course work to the best of your ability. Also, repeating the process of practicing everything you learn is good for your mind.
If you see an opportunity to seek help, don’t sit on it and wait because you will dread that decision later on. It’s less about how hard you work and more about working quickly. Students that work really hard to obtain what they want for themselves also work faster than those who may have similar ambitions.
Take it from someone like myself who quickly learned the essence of speed when it came to finishing my work. You must have a little spark in you that helps you say “I want to get this done now, rather than later.” Then you must act on that ambition and allow it to guide you so you can finish your work. I always look at what is due for me and when. For example, if I finish all of my assignments for the week, I look at what is coming up in terms of course work for the week ahead.
Time Management helps college student to not multitask and instead focus on what they have control over in a very useful way. By setting reminders and having daily routines we allow ourselves to grow less stressed out when it comes to our academic work. This helps improve mental health which is something every college needs to have control over in order to succeed.