Success in college doesn’t only come from attending class, hitting deadlines or studying, but knowing how, when and where to devote your time and energy.
Unlike high school, college is centered around independence and self-discipline. Class attendance is not always mandatory, and professors may not always remind you of assignment due dates. Suddenly, the responsibility shifts. Going to class and staying on top of assignments becomes your responsibility, not someone else’s.
Leaving high school and entering college is not only a jump in personal responsibility but in academics, accountability and work ethic as well. Understanding how you function on your own schedule can help establish what you need, as both a student and a person, to be proactive and keep yourself afloat.
An estimated 90% of college students procrastinate, and about 25% of that estimated number become chronic procrastinators. Strategically planning in college will help you better organize your day and further prevent valuable time from slipping by.
Each day holds the same amount of time. How you choose to use it will ultimately shape your task management, college experience and future.
As a student who holds a 4.0 GPA and still prioritizes time outside of academics, one of the best things I did was create a monthly calendar. Assignment due dates, exam dates and times, meetings, social gatherings and weekend plans were noted. By simply looking at my calendar, I knew what needed to be done, where I needed to be and when I wouldn’t have the time to work on assignments.
Along with planning comes priorities, and along with priorities come habits. Starting a new habit can be easy, but breaking out of one is not. Even simple, daily patterns can develop into “must-haves” without your immediate realization.
Many times, time management comes down to the smaller choices made throughout the day. Putting off assignments for “later,” skipping one class or spending more time distracted than productive may not seem significant at first, but it will present itself in your stress, workload and results.
Studying is important, but your body needs rest in order to process and retain information. In fact, college students are recommended to get seven to nine hours of sleep in order to concentrate properly and recall material. Less than seven hours turns into sleep deprivation.
Harvard and Eastern University provide valuable tips for managing time as a college student, such as having a plan, creating a balance between life and academics and staying organized. All of these ideas can minimize stress levels, which then allow the mind to think more clearly and improve both focus and productivity.
One of the most difficult parts about college is constantly being pulled in different directions. For example, you have to study, but you made dinner plans. You need to work out, but you’re exhausted. There’s a birthday celebration, but you really just want a night to yourself. There will always be an option of what to do with your time.
Find what matters to you most in that specific moment, and make a decision that will best suit your needs. Remember, it’s OK to say no or change your mind completely.
Create practices you can be proud of to push you forward, not hold you back. Everything you do, no matter how small, is a factor in the lifestyle you will create for yourself at college.
Everyone has their own system. Perfecting how you manage your time may not happen immediately, but that’s part of learning how to live independently. Trial and error is part of the process, and mistakes are inevitable. What matters most is how you recover from them and adjust moving forward.
Learning how to manage your time doesn’t mean you have to do everything alone. Ohio University offers many different services students may utilize, such as student well-being, advising, tutoring and more. Well-being advising provides links to student organizations, counselors, help lines and other guides to help students feel confident. During transitions, high-stress periods, or even for daily advice, students can receive valuable input and feel more assured knowing they have a support system through the university.
Time at OU moves faster than expected, which is why learning how to manage it early matters. While deadlines, exams and responsibilities are important, so are the experiences and memories made along the way. Creating balance between both can help make college not only successful, but meaningful.
Aleni Bender is a sophomore studying Organizational Communication at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Aleni about her column? Email/tweet her at ab285023@ohio.edu/@aleni_bender
