Spending a Valuable, Non-Renewable Resource Wisely:
Time Management

After receiving test results from midterms and otherexams, students often decide that they need to develop or re-evaluate their timemanagement skills. Time management skills need to reflect each student’sresponsibilities, course requirements, and individual priorities, and eachstudent will likely find that time demands are continually changing. Whether youare still adjusting to freedom and a lack of structure that is new to you oryou are trying to integrate class and work schedules along with otherresponsibilities, it can be profitable to take a new look at the way you arespending a very valuable, non-renewable resource: your time.

The way in which you schedule your time reflects yourpriorities. Have you allocated enough time for eating and sleeping so that youarrive at your classes rested and alert? Have you determined when you have theleast energy and the most energy, and have you decided to dedicate yourhigh-energy times to studying? Have you scheduled social activities and timewith friends so that you control the amount of time you spend onrecreation, as opposed to letting it control you? Most importantly, do your testresults indicate that you’re managing your time effectively?

These are just a few of the questions to ask yourself asyou evaluate your time usage. The key is to work "smarter, notharder." With your test results in hand, think critically about the timeyou’ve spent on studying. Did you lose time re-reading textbooks when yourexams covered lecture notes? Could your comprehension have been improved byreviewing test material with other students? If your instructor provided a studyguide, did you use it effectively to prepare for your test? Many people refer tothe adage that "time is money." Given how valuable time is to collegestudents, it makes sense to spend your time wisely and, metaphorically speaking,to get the best bargain possible.

Many students use an NIU daily calendar or some other typeof planning system that helps them keep track of their responsibilities. The keyto making your planner work for you is to be honest and realistic about what youcan and will accomplish during your day. If it’s important to you to watchtelevision with your friends on a certain night of the week, record thisintention in your planner. By being honest about how you intend to meet yoursocial needs, you can plan adequately to meet your academic needs and keep yourlife in balance.

It’s helpful to develop regular study times and places.Many students discover that their residence hall rooms or apartments are greatplaces to visit with friends and roommates but aren’t always effective placesto study, due to all of the tasks and distractions in those environments.

One of the quickest ways to eliminate these distractionsis to find a study location where your other roles and responsibilities are notdemanding your attention. As an alternative to studying in your room orapartment, consider dining halls, study lounges, the library, and other spacesboth on and off campus. Make it a project to investigate the wide range of studylocations available to you and choose a space that will help you maximize yourstudy productivity. Your study time is limited, so it’s important that youmake the most of it.