Time Management

Time management plays an important role when juggling a busy schedule like mine. Knowing what needs to be done, by when, and for who are all aspects of this specific skill. Excellent time management skills are needed in order to understand which things are priorities and which things can be saved for later. Time management also helps you make time for those fun things in life too. There can’t always be work and no play. We’d all die of stress. 

Here are a few pointers to developing good time management skills:

1. Keep a planner.

I used to hate having to write everything down in a planner. It took too much time and effort that I could be spending on other things…like the homework that I was writing down.  In reality though, that five or ten minutes you spend writing down which homework or project is due on whichever date, could save you an hour or more on sleep because you didn’t forget that your world history research paper was due tomorrow and you aren’t up all night trying to finish it to meet the deadline. A planner also makes you aware of your free time. 

2.      2. Don’t wait until the last minute.

As a college student we have enough things to stress us out. Waiting until the last minute to finish that art history project will just send you straight to the psych ward. I’m not saying that you should skip the Halloween party on Saturday so that you can finish your project early, but make sure you know when your project is due and plan out your completion process. Maybe spend about thirty minutes each day on your assignment so that you aren’t doing it all at the last minute. It may not seem like the most appealing way to get it done, but in the long run you’ll be glad you did.

3.      3. All work and no play?

YOU MUST MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF TO RELAX! Anxiety builds stress. Stress leads to depression. Without some downtime in your life, you could be on your way to depression. There is always time for play no matter how busy your schedule is. Even working two jobs and going to school, I find time to go out and have fun. I use a lot of my free time during the week to my advantage. When I have a break between classes I work on homework or a project. When I work those long hour shifts at work I make sure to take enough homework with me to stay busy all day. I go out at least once during the week and once or twice on the weekends.

In reality, anyone can build good time management skills. It comes down to whether or not you want to put the time and effort into doing it.

Blogger by Emily Covell is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Supportive Friends

Friend- one attached to another by affection or esteem; a favored companion

The Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary definition of friend is above. It describes a person who you can count on. Someone who will be there for you when times get rough. Those who will listen to you when you just need someone to hear what you have to say. Most importantly, a friend is someone who stands by your side and supports you no matter decisions or mistakes you make.

Being financially independent it tough. You have to learn to manage your bills, know when to save and when you can splurge, and you have to be able to distinguish between necessities and luxuries. Sometimes your finances can become very frustrating and stressful, especially when you’re living paycheck to paycheck while others have their parents to financially support them. There comes days when I just want to give up everything: quit my job, sell my car, stop paying my bills and live like a normal college student. In reality, working through college is what gives me the ability to live like a normal college student. It gives me the extra money I need to go out with my college friends and to have a car and cell phone like a college student does.

That’s why, when times get rough and I just want to give up, I have my friends there to support me. Although they may not be in the same situation I am or have not gone through the certain things I’ve gone through, I know they will always be there to listen when I need to vent about my horrible day at work. They can even sometimes provide advice on similar situations that they have experienced. And they are always there to cheer me up when I am down.

Without the support of friends, life can be very lonely. Always cherish those who are by your side and never take for granted the fact that they are there.

Friends by Emily Covell is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.