Freshman Forum: Find Your Balance

Everyone has things they’ve got to do. We all have chores, responsibilities, duties we must accomplish. No one is without certain life attributes, and balancing them is particularly important. Time management is a crucial skill that everyone must learn, and those who are best at it lead the most productive lives. People who manage their time well are much less likely to be stressed, and probably have an easier time doing the work they need to do. Let’s talk a bit about how you can manage your time well.

Knowing what you’ve got to do in a given day is very important. Keeping all of your responsibilities in line will help you to remember what you’ve got to do each day and approximately how much time you have to do it. Let’s say that you need to go to work at five, but before then, you need to order some textbooks online. You might be likely to forget ordering textbooks, so write it down! Keep a notebook, journal, or organizer and write down your daily tasks and responsibilities.

The art of prioritizing will get you a long way. Knowing what needs to be done and what’s most important is a key factor in good time management. You might need to do something online, but if it’s not as important as cleaning your room, then let it wait. The Internet is always there. One thing college students have a hard time prioritizing is their study time vs. their social life. You’ve got to choose which is more important to you. If you’re dead-set on making all As in school, you need to go out less. If you’re all right with Bs and Cs, you can devote more of your time to social activities. The choice is yours alone to make, and remember that not everyone is the same, so everyone’s idea of success isn’t the same, either!

Motivation is a key factor in time management as well. If you’re not motivated to do the things you need to, how on Earth will you be able to make yourself get up and do it? Cleaning tends to be something I lack motivation for, but I’ll remind myself of how good it feels when I come home after work to a clean room. That motivates me because I know I’ll feel better in the long run – I hate messes! So whatever you’ve got to do, find a way to motivate yourself. Having trouble practicing? Find inspiring pictures, quotes, or music that inspires you to practice. Need to exercise? Remind yourself of what it feels like after you’re done working out or your end goal. You’ll be much more likely to try and achieve it.