Perhaps you have heard the saying “you have the same 24 hours as Beyonce?” While technically true, unfortunately, we don’t all have the same resources as Beyonce does in her 24 hours. So how do we make the most of it? There are so many things to do, all the time, as college students, as young adults, as parents, as full-time workers or whatever your lifestyle may be. How do we manage our time?
For a stereotypical college student that lives on campus, the list of things to do in a day can be long.
- Wake up and get ready
- Eat breakfast
- Go to classes
- Eat lunch
- Participate in student orgs
- Study
- Eat dinner
- Hang out with friends
- Work-out
- Shower and get ready for bed
For commuter students, their days may look a little different. There are chores to do, errands to run, kids to take care of and work to do. Not to mention the commute time living in Houston, self-care, various appointments/meetings and countless other activities all take up time.
Freedom! and the responsibilities it comes with…
College is the first time for many that they are able to create their own schedules. Students can choose as many classes as they’d like, however early or late in the day. Suddenly, students can find themselves with free time they never had before and often feel overwhelmed.
I remember my freshman year of college, living away from home with the power of dictating my own time in my hands. At first, I struggled to adjust. There were so many things to do, and it felt like I had plenty of time. But when I would look at the clock at the end of the day, I felt like I had done nothing at all.
Enter Google Calander
I was introduced to Google Calendar by a mentor in my first semester. It changed my life. My assignments and due dates were in a cute physical planner that I was using, but it kept on getting neglected among the chaos of things. With Google Calendar, I could plan my whole day out by the hour. I can include class times, meal times, studying times and time to hang out with friends. Most importantly, I could set reminders that would send notifications straight to my phone. I found myself more productive than I had ever been, completing my to-do lists and being able to balance almost everything efficiently.
I learned a few things from that semester. Contrary to saying that we don’t have the same 24 hours as Beyonce, we always have time. I learned that time management comes down to a matter of priority. Time is a trade-off. What is more important to you? Studying for your upcoming exam or making memories with your friends? It’s up to you. You can pick one or you can compromise. This leads me to the second thing I learned; Multitasking.
If and when you can, multitask! If seeing your friends and working out are equally important to you, why not do both at the same time? Or have dinner with your friends so you can catch up, and study afterward. Call your mom while you’re waiting for laundry or walking to or from class. It’s up to you.
All I can recommend is to prioritize, multitask and use resources to help you along the way. Here are some ways to help manage your time.
Use a physical planner or calendar
Go old school with it, writing it down can help you remember, but don’t forget to check it often!
Use a calendar app!
You can check it from your phone or computer, and it can send you notifications and reminders whenever you’d like. I recommend Google Calendar, but there are others out there too.
Make to-do lists!
Put them everywhere if you have to. You’ll be satisfied when you can check it off your list.
No one can tell you how to manage your time, and time management for everyone may look different. It might take some trial and error, and your time management style may change as your lifestyle changes, but do what is best for you.
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