The Problem of More Time (college perspective)
Time is our most valuable asset. We are limited to a certain amount of it, the amount unknown. Therefore how we spend it is crucial.
This article shows how I have learned in the past few months how delicate time is and how I needed structure to optimize my time.
I think this story can help any new college students as time management becomes completely different in college.
From elementary school to high school, at least in my experience, the schedules are fairly uniform for all students and therefore how you use your time is largely decided for you. In college you will still be very busy but you will find you have more freedom with how you spend your time. Spend it wisely.
This past semester I ended up only having classes on Tuesday/Thursday. This was totally unintentional but it worked out that way so I took it. At first I thought wow this is great but what am I going to do with all of this time?
The first few weeks of class I scurried around looking for any internship opportunities still available for the fall semester. To my surprise I was able to land an internship that would require 15 hours a week. Therefore I would work Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for 5 hours each day.
This was going smoothly until the internship suddenly ended as the company was shifting directions, great! So for the past few months I have had an odd schedule of only Tuesday/Thursday classes.
I would like to think of myself as self-motivated and productive but when my schedule became so unstructured it became easier to procrastinate. I found myself cramming the night before tests, struggling to wake up for my 8am, and wasting time watching Netflix.
My mindset became “Oh I have plenty of time” when contemplating getting started on homework due in a few days.
With so much more time I was getting so much less accomplished. I am sure everyone else is not the same but this past semester I learned that I need a structured schedule to get things done.
That is when I began to make a conscious effort to get started on homework as soon as possible. It creates less stress to know that you are not waiting until the last minute.
Sometimes procrastinating can be so easy when you have the wrong mindset. Tell yourself that you must finish the assignment a few days before it is actually due and then stick to it!!
When I move up the deadline and stick to it I feel so much better about my efforts than when I wait until the last second. It also rids the guilt of not doing your homework when working on other side projects or extracurricular activities.
Start early and hold yourself reliable to a deadline.
Creating a self imposed structure is how I have learned to deal with more time.
Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed!
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