How do you manage all of this new time?!

Some Time Management Strategies:

1. Identify "Best Times" for Studying: Are you a morning or night person?  When do you have your highest period of attention and concentration?  Use power times to study and down times for easier more routine tasks such as laundry and errands

2. Study Difficult Subjects First: When you're fresh, you can process information more quickly and save time as a result. Also, when you're done with the hard stuff, you can move onto something better.

3. Use Distributed Learning and Practice: Study in shorter time blocks with short breaks in between, keeping you from getting fatigued and wasting time.  This type of studying is efficient because while you are taking a break, the brain is still processing information..

4. Make Sure the Surroundings are Conducive to Studying: This tip reduces distractions that can waste time.  If there are times in the dorms or your apartment when you know there will be noise, use that time for mindless tasks.

5. Make Room for Entertainment and Relaxation: College is more than studying.  You need to have a social life, but you must maintain balance.

6. Make Sure you Have Time to Sleep and Eat Properly: Sleep is often an activity that students use as their time management "bank."  When they need a few extra hours of studying or for socializing, they withdraw a few hours of sleep.  Doing this makes the time spent studying less effective because they will need a couple of hours of clock time to get an hour of productive time.

7. Try to Combine Activities: Use the "Twofer" concept.  Bring your psychology notes to study while you are waiting on your laundry or for the next class to start. Run through your biology flashcards while you are waiting for the shuttle or standing in line to get food at the Diner.

Reprinted with permission from: The University of Minnesota Duluth Student Handbook