Time Management for College Students

It is hard to know what is coming and stay on track without organization and planning. Good organization keeps you from becoming overwhelmed, allows for unexpected events, and keeps in mind the stuff you are responsible for. Following are tips for staying organized in college.

1. Keep a calendar of exam & assignment due dates, class meetings, and other appointments.

• Copy important exam and assignment due dates from your syllabus to your calendar
• Add in class meeting times and other appointments.
• Add in other fixed activities like work.
• Once you make the calendar, use it to help you plan for important due dates, and to make your weekly plan.

As a UHMC student, you have access to google calendar. You can even keep zoom meeting information in your calendar so you can easily connect to your classes and other appointments without searching

2. Commit to sticking to a weekly schedule. 

• A weekly schedule is different from a calendar.
  • A weekly schedule is your commitment to yourself to show up to study at specific times.
  • Set aside blocks of uninterrupted time to focus on your coursework.
  • Color blocking is a way of visually organizing how you are dividing your time.  

3. Make a weekly task list.  

• At the beginning of each week,
  • use your syllabus or course schedule to list out what you need to do for the week.
  • Break big assignments into smaller tasks.
  • Be specific by identifying start and endpoints like
    • read pages 99-125 in chemistry or
    • review chapter 2 PowerPoint slides for Biology.
  • Make sure you can locate assignments, readings, slides, etc. 
• Cross tasks off your list as you complete them.
  • Reward yourself when you accomplish your study goals
  • Small wins help you sustain momentum week after week.
• Make a note of how long each task takes. 
  • It is easy to underestimate or overestimate the time it takes to accomplish certain college assignments like 
    • reading a textbook chapter,
    • drafting a research paper or
    • writing a lab report
• As you finish a task,
  • Make a note of how long it took.
    • You get a sense of how much time you need for various kinds of tasks and assignments.
  • It helps you with scheduling your study time in the future

Additional Resources:

What is Time Blocking, Does it Work

The Complete Guide To Time Blocking

Time Management Tips

How to Keep Track of Your Homework Assignments