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In order to be effective and efficient when in college students must cultivate personal time management skills. People with good time management skills are usually able to function exceptionally well even when under extreme pressures. Good time management skills enable you to take control of your college workload and your life. This is easier said than done; so, for those struggling with this issue, here are some helpful tips to help you re-direct yourself.

Just because you are busier now than ever in your life does not mean that ‘being busy’ should be your focus. In fact, this will detract from your effectiveness. You must shift your focus from constantly dwelling on how busy you are to what tasks actually need to get done. Figure out what matters the most and start there; this shift in focus is crucial to your workload accomplishments.

You need to be able to take control of your time by eliminating the areas that are wasting your time and energy. The best way to do this is to set short-term goals in order to accomplish the bigger, long term objectives. You would do this by scheduling your activities in order to take control of your workload and personal life.

The “Oh heck, I’ll get to that later” thinking has led to the downfall of many students. Once this thinking takes hold, your workload can get so high that it is insurmountable. You need to refocus because procrastination is a habit you do not want to form. So, it is very important to recognize that you are procrastinating, figure out why you are doing it and then setting up some strategies to beat this pattern of behavior. Cultivate the habit of starting assignments promptly and make up your own rewards for each task completed.

Put a value on the tasks in your workload and prioritize them. As you prioritize, make a schedule with the most pressing task to be completed at the top and so forth down the list. The most important thing about prioritizing is that you won’t get caught short, won’t find yourself in a frenzy as a deadline approaches and will not find yourself in the midst of a ‘things to do’ conflict.

Having a plan and knowing how to use your time wisely may be the keys to your success in college. Time management is an essential skill that helps you keep your workload and life under control. Of course, with your time management skills in place, you are ensuring that your stress levels are kept to a minimum and that you are working in a focused and effective way. Congratulations!!

Sue Behlmar writes eduaction related articles for the American Educational Guidance Center. Subjects of her articles include online colleges, financial aid and online degrees most likely to lead to career advancement.

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