Managing time is one of the main struggles that college students go through. Not having the time or motivation to get the needed work done within the time they have. Many college students face the trials and tribulations of going to school all day, having to go home, cook, clean, or even take out the dog. Some of us go straight to work right after racking our brains with so much information it takes a toll on our brains and bodies. 

Based on the Student Engagement Insights survey, up to 87% of surveyed college students agree that having better time management skills would help them get higher grades, while 88% of them want to improve their ability to budget their time. 

Full-time students who also work full time have found these three tips that could help you succeed as a college student who struggles with poor time management.

Create a calendar/schedule

To be able to succeed in life it is very important to prioritize your time and the things you have to do in an orderly fashion. If you have the time to finish simple tasks first before stressing over the big projects, it can help take the weight off your shoulders instead of focusing all your attention on your whole list.

This can be accomplished by making a schedule of your day, your week, or even your month. Space out the assignments you need to do depending how big, how much time they would need and when they are due. In “8 Time Management Tips for Students” written by Harvard Summer School, it argues that having a schedule that’s fit for you helps one maximize one’s time. 

Be smart with how you make the schedule know your rhythm as it will help you get into a routine. Once you get used to the schedule and routine things become to feel like a flow. The more flow the better. 

Make goals 

Goals play a big role in how and when a person accomplishes things. It is a constant reminder that you need to be motivated and focused on improving oneself. Christopher A. Wolters, and Anna C. Brady are theorists and authors of “College Students’ Time Management: A Self-Regulated Learning Perspective”, who portray time management as a multidimensional process which includes setting and prioritizing goals, as short and long-term planning. Estimating time demands can be very useful to a student’s success.

Creating goals for yourself also helps you improve the way you see yourself, because nobody can take that feeling of accomplishing that short or long term goal away from you. This also helps you see that this is for yourself and not for anyone else. Learner’s ability to regulate their cognition, motivation, and behaviors is crucial for academic success, and without these behaviors students can find it challenging to start or even finish their goals. 

Be reasonable

Students at times tend to over pack their schedules, not on purpose but simply for lacking the skill of balance. For example, the amount of classes they take a quarter, the amount of hours they work during the week or even the duties at home. Great advice is to take on what you know you can, not what you think you can. Do not try to overwhelm yourself with trying to fit a hundred tasks in 24 hours.

Cramming a whole bunch of tasks into a schedule that is already over packed needs to be reconsidered and be knit picked on the things that are not that important. 

You have to learn to be reasonable with what you need to get done and how you get them done. According to the “College students’ time management and effort regulation patterns, academic emotions, and performance in an asynchronous online class” article, students who aren’t good with asynchronous classes apply to them almost every year, leading them to fall behind. It’s good to reflect on your past and know what works best with you and your schedule. You must understand what’s good for you, not what you think will be easier.

Once you allow yourself to understand what environment you learn in better and what paces you enjoy as a student, things will look up. If you have to do a reality check and tell yourself that a certain thing isn’t for you, do it!

Having these three simple and easy tips to be able to help navigate things better as a student in college can really make one’s life easier. You don’t need counseling or a life coach, you simply just need to organize and prioritize better. It will also allow you to be able to understand how you function and what’s right for you.