It’s week five of the Spring Quarter and assignments are piling up and stressing me out. My struggle with time management has led to me pulling all nighters that range from llpm-11am. The anxiety of failing and falling behind keeps me up at night and wakes me up in the morning from my precious dreams. After trial and error and a hermit’s social life, here are some tips I’ve learned that have helped me manage my time better, participate in social outings, and make it on time to work and my classes.
Google/Apple Calendar
Depending on the device I’m using —laptop or iphone— I switch between using apple calendar or google calendar. I set aside time every Friday night to plan out my new week, and give myself enough time to study first before going out with friends on the weekends. I’ve found the reminders on either device have helped me when I have an event coming up or a recurring assignment, like writing for HerCampus. The notifications pop up the day of and 30 minutes before the time of the event, to allow myself time to travel there. This has successfully worked nine out ten times. Usually, the one event I don’t attend overlaps with another and I choose to attend the event with the most priority.
Paper Agenda or Goodnotes
I find having a paper agenda works best for me because it gives me the muscle memory of writing an assignment down and checking off a box. I have used my agenda on Goodnotes and it works just as well, but I prefer to flip through pages instantly rather than opening up my iPad and selecting a specific date. It usually depends on how much I procrastinate and if I have time to write my schedule down. As of now, I am planning to order another updated agenda with an hourly schedule day by day that also has a section for a to-do list. If I could print out my Goodnotes agenda without it costing an arm and a leg, I would because the format and style it has aligns perfectly with everything I need, which is a major factor for why I continue going back to my Goodnotes agenda that I bought on Etsy for $11 dollars.
White board or Large Paper Agenda
This one is my personal favorite. I have a large white board that hangs by my study table that I update every month. Between the last day of April to the first or second day of May, I try to set time aside to draw and write the month. I look through all of my syllabi and work assignments and write them down by date and time. I draw the flower of the month to make the board look pretty to catch my attention in the morning and make me look at the calendar while I’m getting ready. Then, I’ll roam my eyes over the board and see if I have any to-do list for the day that I’ve written earlier in the month. As the month progresses, I update it and set daily affirmation and reminders on the right side of the board. I leave chores and to-do lists that are urgent and make sure I check the boxes when I’m done. I’ve found this method helps me so much in advance already knowing what I have planned daily, weekly, and monthly.
Pick your favorite time management technique or try them all like me. Point is, have a designated place where you keep an updated plan of your schedule each week. Set alarms and reminders on your phone, and make sure you write your open availability too when sharing with your friends what day to hit the mall works best for you. It is understandable to not see friends for weeks at a time, and setting aside time in advance before any other plans are made is the best way you’ll successfully manage your time and not feel overwhelmed by assignments.
Good luck in midterms and update your weekly calendars to stay on track!