Time Management

Managing time is a proactive process that helps maximize your efficiency while creating ways to remain flexible when the unexpected hits. Every action you take to identify, prioritize, and organize your time will pay off. If you feel overwhelmed, step away from urgent matters and plan some strategy. Study smarter, not harder.

Our academic coaches are pros at helping students study smarter, no matter if you are a 1.0 or 4.0 student. Time management is also a reflective process when setting priorities so having another person to help guide your decisions is a great way to study smarter.

Time Management Diagram

Image courtesy the National Agents Alliance.

  1. Estimate your weekly time needs using this worksheet.
  2. Chart out your semester. Chart out your semester. Look through all your syllabi and mark important dates on a calendar.
  3. Sketch a rough schedule of your week. Put in class time, work, meals/sleep, and ideal study blocks. Don't forget commutes and travel time.
  4. Set reminders and notifications in a digital planner (see Apps and Tools).

Time Management Quick Tips

  • Use a Time log
  • Budget your time according to priority
  • To-do lists (day by day or week by week)
  • Take a mental health break
  • Establish priorities
  • Make school and grades your top priorities
  • Make time for your friends after all of your priorities are complete for the day
  • Make time for exercise and making sure you are physically healthy (such as doctors’ appointments, etc.)
  • Set reminders on your phone, such as an alarm when you should be doing something at a certain time
  • Be honest with yourself and your peers when you feel like time management begins to be too overwhelming

Check out this document for more time-management tips [DOCX].

Setting goals is integral to time-management. This document has some goal-setting tips [DOCX].