I always hear people complaining that they "don’t have time for abc." The truth is, 24 hours in a day is plenty of time to get a lot of work done and be productive. We have to take time out to get important work done. So here is another one of my articles I did in high school that I thought would be helpful for me to post. My article gives a glimpse to some of the research I did before I
started uni. myself (almost a year and half ago). Remember, these are different
for everyone in different situations, so nothing is really set in stone (like
the quote). But nonetheless, I think this can be used as a beginners
guide to get an idea on the college/ uni. experience. Hope this helps someone
:)
How many times have you regretted not starting on a task
earlier? Maybe you spent all day/ night getting one school assignment done that
you thought wouldn't have taken so long. This can be very stressful! What if
things got worse and you ended up getting a grade you were not happy with? An
F? D? C? For some, even a B is upsetting knowing that you spent a long time
working on the assignment.
Now, imagine if you did this in college, where you would get
homework for each course, every day of class! You have to admit,
procrastinating, which is delaying or postponing something that needs to get
done, isn't a smart thing to do at such a serious level of schooling. This
delay can jeopardize your education, health, and even your future!
According to Off to College 2008, most of the time, we
struggle to create a balance between our needs, our desires, and our
obligations. Our needs are our everyday tasks we must do to maintain ourselves,
such as eating, sleeping, personal hygiene, etc. Our desires are all the enjoyable
times we look forward to, such as socializing, reading, going online, shopping,
watching TV, etc. Finally, our obligations are the things we try to fulfill
successfully to meet expectations, like going to school and doing well for our
future and to make our parents proud of us.
"I've seen people fail because of this. There is always
going to be a party, but you have to be disciplined and get your work done
first," said Monika K.
Too much time on any one of these three groups, and not
enough in each, creates an imbalance in your life. For example, watching too
much TV instead of studying for an upcoming exam can result in a poor grade.
Another example is being regularly late, which sends the message to others
saying, "I don’t take my education seriously."
Okay, so now that you know what needs to be balanced and
what can happen if balancing of time isn't done, lets focus on how you can
manage your time.
First, analyze your time. For a few days, keep track of how
you use your time to see when you are the busiest and when your time is more
flexible. Notice what time of day you do your best work, and how much time is
wasted with telephone calls, interruptions, distractions, etc.
Next, organize your time. Having the right materials with
you when you are ready to work on an assignment can save time. (Also, it saves frustration
when things are easily accessible.)
Use a tool to organize what you need to do, such as a
planner, phone or calendar. You can also make to-do lists. Record important dates,
such as due dates for school work, library books, and days that you can enjoy,
for example socializing, shopping, and traveling, without sacrificing your
other responsibilities. Remember to check off your completed tasks as they get
done. Motivation for getting something done can be a reward for yourself, such
as going out or buying yourself a treat!
Finally, prioritize! Determine what is more important and
needs to get done as soon as possible. Tasks that are due later or can wait are
of low priority at the moment. Assignments due sooner are of higher priority.
Arrange the tasks from high to low priority. Set realistic
deadlines for yourself. Breaking a big assignment apart makes the task more
manageable and less overwhelming.
Some other points to keep in mind are: Make the task
meaningful. Ask yourself why the task is important to you and how it relates to
your long-term goals.
Since a college degree is four plus years away, we often
lose sight of our goals. We forget the reason we decided to enroll in college
in the first place. A reminder every so often is a good idea, especially when
procrastination is about to attack!
Also, think positive. Avoid speaking negatively about the
task and your ability to move toward completion. Remember, proper management of
time has many benefits; the most important is a stress-free life!
