While you may find that you have a lot of freedom in your schedule, you will also see that you have a lot of things vying for your time. The more you organize your time, the more efficient you will be.
Get the Big Picture
Use a semester or monthly calendar to get organized. Go through your syllabi and write down all quizzes, projects, exams, papers, etc. Doing this helps you to see the bigger picture of what your semester will look like. It also will help you to better plan and motivate yourself for studying in advance when you have several important deadlines coming up.
Plan the Details
Plan out a reasonable weekly schedule with the time log below. When you plan out your schedule, you will be amazed at how productive you can be. Find time to read, study, eat, sleep, exercise, and have fun. It is important to find balance in your schedule. After making a weekly schedule, you may realize that you have much more free time that you could better utilize or that you are overscheduled and one commitment may need to be let go. If creating a weekly schedule seems overwhelming, create a next actions list to only focus on a few tasks that need to be done very soon.
Create Accountability Measures
The hardest part of managing your time is often holding yourself accountable to do the tasks that you say you will do. When you create goals, brainstorm extra measures to help you stay accountable. You could recruit a friend to tackle the goal with you. Verbally sharing your goal with others and asking them to check in on your progress helps you to stay committed. You may be more motivated if you reward yourself for meeting small deadlines. Consider utilizing a peer coach to help you set and take action toward your goals. Another good habit is to write your goals down in a place that is highly visible. You could also use the tracking form below to track your progress and better understand your strengths and weaknesses when sticking to productive habits.
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