Time Management at College

<p>Can someone give me ways to imrpove time management skills?</p>

<p>Make a schedule and adhere to it.</p>

<p>What kind of schedule should I make?</p>

<p>Did you study in HS? Did you have an open campus? Was your lunch break restricted?? Think for yourself....how good are you at avoiding the usual black holes for time? Do you play video games?? I could go on and on.</p>

<p>I studied alot in H.S, no open campus, lunch break restricted, hate video games</p>

<p>Okay....so you studied in HS. Apparently your day was very structured and thus you will have more flexibility in college. To ask someone to help you develop a schedule if futile. Others cannot know your personal time clock nor your predilictions for wasting time such as shopping, socializing etc. Some folks waist time by doing internet activities such as CC. All that you need to know is that some undetermined number of hours will be required for study for each hour in class....or not....and you will need to prepare readings and writings. I read more than 300 pages per day and prepare many writings....you may be taking science classes. What you are asking is impossible to answer specifically. What school are you going to be attending???</p>

<p>Bucknell University majoring in Biology</p>

<p>i just wanted some pointers...did not mean angry you</p>

<p>I am not angry but rather trying to point out to you that if you are inclined to waste time......aren't we all......you will see folks at Bucknell waste time in ways you had never even dreamed of. I will caution you about one pervasive problem. In the first semester you will undoubtedly arrive on campus early to allow time for orientation and adjustment. Great....well it will last for up to 3 weeks if you add in Labor Day Holiday. So....you have developed a particular comfort level and boom 4 weeks have passes. Weather is great, sooo many new folks to socialize with, freedom from folks and rigid schedule. Not too much regular homework, you seem to be keeping on top of it.....boom, mid-term papers and exams. Oh, there was more reading than you thought, paper more complicated than you thought....slam you are behind, overwhelmed and now you have to reevaluate. I think this is what you are asking about. Nobody really can help you avoid this....best you can do is be aware that it does happen and it is not easy to get the trolley back on the rails.</p>

<p>Thank You Sooo Much ... I'll Keep That In Mind</p>

<p>iT'S JUST THAT MY Friend STUDIED SO HARD IN H.S and got to college and started failing. Just don't want that to happen to me.</p>

<p>Of course you don't want that to happen to you. I cannot answer how well you were prepared.....I don't know about your HS. I can tell you however that at nearly every college there are supports for students who discover that they have come to a place where they are outclassed academically. Be sure to search out support services NOW, be sure to know when to panic. Don't wait until a week before finals when you have done poorly on a midterm to adjust and study up. IF you do poorly on an exam or paper make yourself go to the support services and don't feel embarassed or stupid. College has lots of adjustments.....be sure to open your mind to the concept of adjustment. You will find yourself in class with students smarter and better prepared than yourself......if you were top in your HS this WILL happen. You can find your own way to excel. Be patient and aware. Have you read Tom Wolf's new novel about Charlotte Simmons????</p>

<p>Hey! I'm going to Bucknell too!! YAY! (lol) I know with my HS all of my teachers were great about giving extensions as long as I asked before the assaignment was due (at least a few days) and explained why I needed the extension (or made up something that sounded good). From what I've heard the profs at Bucknell are super understanding as well, and really want to work with us, so don't be afraid to ask for an extension or talk to the teachers... yeah... :-p</p>

<p>hazmat- you haven't answered ANY of africaprincess' questions. Sheesh.</p>

<p>Let me help you. </p>

<p>Set up your week- Sunday through Saturday. Then divide the day up by hours. Then find out when your classes are, then make blocks for those. Then make blocks for meals (doesn't have to be a whole hour), for sleep (how much do you want?), and personal stuff. Then look at how much time you have left. Then decide if you're going to join any athletic teams- if so, then block off the 4 PM-6PM for practices (usually around that time). If not, then see when the clubs that interest you meets. Put in one or two. Then see how much time you have. All that free time is for studying/socializing. Oh yeah, don't forget to include your job if you're going to have one. Now that you will have a limited amount time for studying than your original blank schedule's, that will force you to get things done so you can take care of other things.</p>

<p>Just don't forget to add a little bit of life and a phone call to the family at home every once in a while :)</p>

<p>AP--
If you are looking for a more concrete example, this is how my son manages (last semester he took 21 hours and survived, while still having fun)</p>

<p>--get a good day runner-type calendar. Enter all of the following on both the monthly overview page and on the weekly or daily entry pages so nothing later slips your mind:</p>

<p>--when you get your syllabus for each class, enter tests/papers/quizzes, etc.</p>

<p>--when you get schedules for teams/clubs/activities/meetings, etc., do the same thing</p>

<p>--on a periodic basis--say every week or two--enter your class schedule for the upcoming week or two or three--on the daily pages of your day runner. Then check your syllabus for every class--and block out a planned time to study each subject ( for example, on Tuesday if your are done with classes at 12:30, you might plan to study/read for econ from 2-4:30, study/read psych from 7-9, intramural innertube waterpolo from 9:30-10:30, dorm meeting at 11:00, study group for Arabic quiz 12:00-1:30 (can be combined with pizza/ coffefe, etc., very social), and then bed.</p>

<p>First class the next morning at 10:15.</p>

<p>I got this by looking at a random day in my son's planner.</p>

<p>He said he survives by planning in advance what to study when and that he also blocks in time for fun and hanging. He found that if he didn't get specific about the waht and when, he tended to do the work in the subjects he liked best while putting off other stuff that he didn't like.</p>

<p>Hope this helps! He has a good friend that loves Bucknell--she' very happy there!</p>