Time Management
Creating a Schedule
One of the top barriers to success in college is not knowing how to spend your time effectively. This means learning how to organize your day around classes, extracurriculars, work, and family life plays a critical role in your chances of maximizing learning.
If you have never used a planner or calendar I highly suggest you read this page and begin using one today! If you are already using a planner/calendar then continue reading and see if there are any new tips you can pick up.
I suggest you create a schedule using an electronic calendar. This can be on your phone, computer, or tablet. You can even use an old-fashioned paper planner but I like electronic versions because they are easy to edit. Many email providers like Google and Yahoo also include calendars. Here are some of the most popular apps with calendars:
If you have never used a planner or calendar I highly suggest you read this page and begin using one today! If you are already using a planner/calendar then continue reading and see if there are any new tips you can pick up.
I suggest you create a schedule using an electronic calendar. This can be on your phone, computer, or tablet. You can even use an old-fashioned paper planner but I like electronic versions because they are easy to edit. Many email providers like Google and Yahoo also include calendars. Here are some of the most popular apps with calendars:
- Google (gmail)
- Yahoo (ymail)
- Apple (iCalendar)
- Android phones also have calendar apps
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I like to choose a calendar I can see on my computer and on my phone. Once you have chosen a calendar here are my suggestions for creating your virtual schedule:
Take a look at the example schedule above. I personally use a Google calendar - which is what you see in the example below. If you would like some guidance on how to create items in Google calendar I provide some here.
- Start by scheduling all your classes during the times they used to meet on campus face-to-face. If you already had an online class you need to find two (2) one and a half hour time slots to put in the calendar.
- Next, if you are working, schedule your work hours. If your hours change put in placeholder hours and you can update them later.
- Third in your calendar should be when you plan to go to bed and wake up. We should consistently be aiming for 8 hours a night with a similar bed time and wake up time each night. Work schedules that vary can disrupt this but work with what you have.
- Rule of Thumb: Just going to class is only one part of college. You also need to schedule review & homework time for projects, assignments, and studying. For every day a class meets I like to schedule at least 1-hour of review time for homework or studying. That means if you have three classes that each met twice a week you need to schedule six (6) one-hour study sessions during the week.
- Lastly, make sure to schedule in when you are going to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This avoids forgetting to eat a meal or mindlessly eating throughout the day.
Take a look at the example schedule above. I personally use a Google calendar - which is what you see in the example below. If you would like some guidance on how to create items in Google calendar I provide some here.