With 24 hours in a day, it can sometimes be hard to determine what to accomplish that day. Therefore it is critical that you have some type of schedule to help guide your day. You don't have to have every second of your day planned out, but to have a rough draft of your day planned out to some extent, helps make sure you are productive for any given day. Below are some tips and advice on how to make sure you are productive throughout the day by having a proper schedule.
Creating some type of schedule is the first step to managing your time. Without a schedule, you are less likely to get things that need done, actually done. To setup your schedule, think of all the important things that need to be done, and put them on a calendar at least a week ahead of when they need to be done. I strongly recommend at least two weeks, but a week should be enough time to complete whatever is on your schedule. By doing so, you are able to see upcoming task, and plan your day out accordingly. It is best to complete the task that assume the most time, in the morning. Waiting to complete a task in the evening that will take a great deal of time, will be done so with less energy and focus. As the day goes on, your body will physically and mentally wear itself down. Therefore it is best to complete important task at the beginning of your day, when you are the most energized.
Just because you have created a schedule does not mean you are set to go. You have to actually implement that schedule into your daily routine. Wait to the last minute to complete a task that is on your schedule, and you are less likely to complete that task for the day. This creates a pattern, like a domino effect, of pushing things off to the next day. Soon you will find yourself so backed up, that you will be much further behind, than if you had just stuck to your schedule. If you know you have an assignment due the next day for a class, but your buddies want to hang out, it is probably best to complete that assignment first, which brings me to my next point, free time.
Once you have created a schedule, and implemented that schedule into your day to day routine, you will find that you will have all sorts of free time. Creating a schedule and actually sticking to it allows for such free time. When you don't have some type of schedule to help guide you day to day, it seems as if there is never enough free time, simply because you don't have any structure in your daily life. With your newly found free time, you can do things like: hang out with your buddies, take up a hobby, or play video games. To be even more productive, you can do things like: find a part-time job, study extra on topics you don't fully understand, or even volunteer at a local organization. Free time is meant to be time to relax to some extent, but is not solely meant to be time wasted. It can always be time spent doing something productive.
To reiterate, create and schedule, stick to the schedule, and will find that you have free time to relax, or be even more productive. College is essentially all about having time management skills. If you are able to manage your time more efficiently, than you will find college much less like a full-time job, and more like a part-time job. If you have any more advice and tips on how to manage your time, feel free to comment below. For questions you may have, simply contact me through the contact form and I will be sure to get back with you. By now, you should already have pen and paper in hand, or your calendar app open, and creating a schedule.
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