How to manage your time

James Farmer

For many students, the hardest part of college is time management. There’s a photo online of a triangle with its angles labeled social life, academics and sleep. The caption of the photo reads: “College, you can only pick two.” This is true for many students, especially those who have to work full-time jobs on top of their studies, or like to go party (or both).

But college doesn’t have to be this impossible task of managing your time. Here are a few easy tips to help you make the most out of college.

Don’t worry about getting all your sleep at one time. Seriously, take a note from the Spaniard’s book on this one. Five hours of sleep a night are more than enough if you can grab a siesta in the afternoon. A little schedule adjusting can make this work nicely, especially if you live on campus. When you are making your next schedule, or adjusting this one, give yourself a few hours between afternoon classes. Just don’t deviate from your schedule too much or you will regret it.

Find your study spot. Everyone studies differently, so not everyone needs to go to the library. If you are like me, and need background noise, you can study in Sweetheart Circle or in your dorm room just fine. If you need silence, try the fourth floor of the library; it’s peaceful with a great view. It’s also good to find the right time to study. If you are a morning person, wake up early and knock that stuff out. If you are a night owl, go ahead and study until 2 a.m. You’ll be better for it.

Find your niche and go wild with it. When it comes to your social life, finding what you want to do is the most rewarding thing. Do your friends want to go to the bars, but you’d rather go LARPing? Go crazy with some wooden swords then. Go to house parties, go to the bars and find out which one you like better or if they are all the same to you. Just go out and enjoy yourself. It’s college after all. If you don’t make friends, you aren’t doing it right.