"Time After Time"

Hi, my name is Laura-Clare, and I have time management issues. The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. Somewhere my parents are gloating because I finally said it.

Everyone has their own specific problems related to time management. Mine specifically would be my sad addiction to Grey’s Anatomy and every show on TLC and struggling with motivation. I like to tell myself that it’s just for stress relief, and that I don’t actually like watching reruns of What Not to Wear. As one could imagine, these combinations lead to procrastination, which leads to me going to bed much later than what’s normal for a functioning human being. Eventually this becomes a vicious cycle of sleep deprivation and last minute cramming. This year I’ve decided to change this. It’s been a slow road to recovery, but I’ll get there eventually. A variety of strategies are needed to succeed at time management. Here are some that I’ve found helpful so far in college.

First is organizing your priorities. The way classes are set up in college is completely different than high school. You don’t have the same seven classes every day. They’re broken up day by day, making your schedule almost a little inconsistent. For example, you might have German and Biology on Tuesday, then English and History Wednesday, but your homework for your Tuesday classes aren’t due until that Thursday, so it’s almost like you have an extra day for homework. However, do not convince yourself that you have more than enough time. If you finish homework early, work on your next set of assignments that are due, but always work on the homework that is absolutely due the next day first; you prioritize.

Secondly, get a planner. I cannot stress how helpful they are. Your iPhone’s calendar won’t always be around when you need it. Paper, on the other hand, doesn’t need to have a charged battery to work. I’ve also found that writing assignments and events down in my planner helps me retain the knowledge more easily. You can also use your planner to prioritize. It all ties in.

Lastly, put yourself in an environment conducive to studying. Avoid studying in your bed. Your body naturally associates your bed with sleeping, so every time you start studying in your bed you’ll get sleepy. The opposite can also happen. If you study in your bed too often, it’ll be harder to fall asleep when all of your work is finished because your brain will still be restless. I find it helpful to study and do homework in a place other than my room, like the library or other friends’ rooms while they’re doing homework because I’m more likely to be motivated.

Time management can be difficult to grasp, but with consistency and motivation it is possible.