Blog of the Peer Advising Leadership Program, College of Natural Resources, UC Berkeley

October 2, 2006 4:31 PM

Time Management, or: How I Learned to Stop Facebooking and Get My Stuff Done.

Time management is one of the most important things you can master in college. I remember my first year here was a whirlwind of activities, of which class was a lower priority. There were people to meet, trips to San Francisco to take, concerts to go to, parties to attend, clubs to get involved with... and I couldn't seem to juggle my academic and social life. But I've learned a couple of tricks here at Berkeley that have gotten me by and although I still have trouble with procrastination, I've definitely improved on my methods over the past two years...

1. PRIORITIZE -- the oldest trick in the book, but I swear it works. Figure out which assignments are most important and which ones will take longer to complete. Tell yourself you'll go out to that party with your friends... but only after you get your chem reading done.

2. GET OUT -- your dorm room, living room, bedroom, bathroom, etc. may not ever be totally conducive to studying. I always get distracted by my computer, my phone, or basically anything in my apartment that could possibly prevent me at all from having to read another chapter of my biology book. I find that going to the library for a couple of hours a week will help you get your work done faster, with no distractions. You can even go in between classes instead of going back home.

3. GET A PLANNER -- when I first moved into Unit 1 and they gave me a free planner, I gave it away. I thought I would never need that dorky thing... wrong. Having a planner gives you a visual of when projects are due and when you have upcoming events. That way you won't forget about any event you have coming up.

4. GET OFF OF FACEBOOK -- i know... gasp! I cancelled my facebook for a couple of months during midterms and finals and it was great. That thing sucks your life away and is not that important in the grand scheme of things. Try to balance the time you spend on the internet with getting other stuff done and you'll be a pro time manager in no time.

5. TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS -- if at all possible, do something right when it is assigned. This way you won't put a lot of your assignments or responsibilities off until the last minute and you'll avoid situations like having to study for three midterms at the same time because you procrastinated all semester ;)

6. HAVE FUN -- your schedule should be a healthy mix of social and academic activities. Join a club, head to the gym, or plan a weekend trip so that you aren't overwhelmed by academic pressures. It can relieve a lot of stress and help you be more focused when it comes to school.


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