<p>How do you handle time management in college, especially if you are attending a very challenging college? What are the best tips?</p>
<p>I play with my earrings and game systems while I study because I feel doing so enhances my concentration.</p>
<p>Hour-by-hour color-coded planner! I LOVE ORGANIZING!</p>
<p>sleep and friends come second to work</p>
<p>No, no, no...it all depends on the person.</p>
<p>I also really like to organize. I buy those big desk calendars so I can map out my days and see them a month at a time. For some people this would be a lot of overkill, but it suits me.</p>
<p>There is a great book about this called "Getting Things Done" by David Allen. Do a google search and you'll find lots of web pages about it. You could also buy the book ;) Allen outlines an approach for capturing what you need to do now and in the future, and a set of procedures for scheduling things so that you are always aware of what it is important for you to be focusing on now (termed "next actions") without letting your long-term goals slip.</p>
<p>The problem you face in college is that you have things spread over a continuum of time: immediate needs (homework due in 2 days), things a little longer out (paper due in 2 weeks), things due in a month or two, and then your longer term goals (pick a major, get internships, semester abroad, etc). How do you keep track of everything? That is time management, and Allen's book is one of the best out there on explaining how to organize things so the pressures of today don't cause you to lose focus on the long term (and also to help make sure what you're working on today is really what matters).</p>
<p>I carry my day planner with me everywhere so I can make to-do lists, figure out when to work on what assignments, etc. I think putting your things where you can find them (books, notes) and learning to start assignments early are two things to start with if you're new to time management.</p>
<p>I... hell, I'm not really too sure how I manage my time... I just do it.</p>
<p>Seriously, if you need time you shouldn't waste too much time posting here. Anything done on the web eats up time quite quickly.</p>