Nov 16, 2021

How To Maximize Your Time Management Skills

24 hours can be enough

College is a weird middle ground between having all the time in the world and not having a second to breathe. You don’t have your parents breathing down your neck to get your homework done. You’re on your own.

When I got to college, I had to quickly figure out how to adapt good time management skills. I ended up skillfully juggling 18 credits, student teaching/internships, and working 30-40 hours a week!

Over the past few years, people have asked me how I do it all. And the truth….excellent time management skills. Want to learn my secrets?

Know when you’re the most productive

Are you the most productive in the morning? At night? The first step to time management is to know when you’re the most productive.

Build your schedule around when you are the most productive. That way you’ll be able to get the most out of your classes, you’re paying for them after all.

Personally, I’m a night owl. I love to stay up all night and am the most productive after 9 pm. That means that 8 am classes are not my thing. In order to get the proper amount of sleep, I can’t have a class before 11 am.

Knowing when I’m best at getting my shit done has made a huge difference when it comes to time management. When it’s finally time to crack down, it’s always at the perfect time that works for me.

Carry a planner

I can’t stress this enough.

If you have a hard time staying organized, bring that bitch wherever you go!

And it doesn’t have to be fancy; mine was $20 at target and it’s my lifeline.

Having a planner has been a game-changer. I know exactly where I’m supposed to be every moment of the day.

Now, you don’t have to go crazy and plan your days hour- three weeks in advance, but definitely pencil in that coffee date with your BFF or that surprise party you got invited to 3 months from now.

You’ll never forget what you have to do that day because it’s laid out right in front of you!

Reward yourself

If you block out an hour for studying, give yourself a treat. It doesn’t have to be huge, but go get a coffee or your favorite candy. Time management is all about self-motivation — so a little reward to help you get through the day is a great pick me up.

When I’m grinding through the day, I celebrate with a pint of mint chip ice cream, or a pick-me-up if the universe decided not to follow my carefully crafted plan. It’s the perfect reward for a jam-packed day.

Sometimes you have to say no

I’m the friend that people see once a month. I’m always on the run, which unfortunately means that I have to decline invitations to social events. There are other things happening in life that sometimes get in the way of going to see that new movie with friends or going on a weekend trip to the city.

Learning to say no was hard. But at the end of the day, I had to learn that school comes first and my social life had to come second.

Now, I’m not saying don’t ever let loose. You deserve to have fun!

This is what works for me — take it as you will.

~Trust the good vibes and spread all the love,

Soph