Time Management Tips For College Students

Contributed by: Anna Dewinter

There is no doubt that learning can be both rewarding and fun, but it is also a serious business, particularly at college level, when students are expected to have a mature approach and to be dedicated to their chosen field of study. College work is demanding, however, and many students find they have other commitments, such as family or work, which make time management essential if they are to fully benefit from their period of study. Here are tips for making the most of a college education by managing time more effectively.

Motivation and Communication

Motivation can flag when there are strict requirements to attend classes or meet at specific times with a tutor. Therefore, when mapping out a schedule always build-in adequate time beforehand to prepare for set periods of study and also afterwards, to follow up on assignments and essays.

Communicating freely with tutors and other students can be difficult in classroom situations, particularly when they are both moving between one class and the next. To improve matters try to set aside time just for this by using online resources where they are available; they are relatively quick and easy to manage. Post on message boards, arrange videoconferences – for example about group assignments – and use email for sending questions to tutors or dispatching responses to their queries.

Being Organized and Avoiding Distractions

Sifting and sorting information can really help when it is important to organize tasks and data. While paper filing systems are useful, online folders and databases can be invaluable for fast and accurate information retrieval. Being good at prioritizing is a big help; when coursework deadlines are looming, think about how much they contribute towards grades and respond accordingly.

When working to a schedule that includes fixed classroom periods it is all too easy to stray into daydreaming mode, especially when other things come to mind. Building in a little ‘freethinking’ time might help to alleviate this and assist students in dealing with extraneous issues so they will not interrupt study periods that should be dedicated to focusing on learning.

Perhaps the most important advantage of taking a college course is having the ability to choose what to study, making it possible to gain a new qualification and new career opportunities. For example, a computer science qualification that requires a certain amount of hands-on training, such as a Network Administration Degree, equips students with the technical skills they need for a career as IT professionals, to which their valuable Network Administration Degree will open the door.