Simple, practical time management techniques will guide you in the right direction to a successful school year.
Many students developed awareness of their freedom and flexibility during a Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) event in Xavier residence hall on Wednesday, Oct. 19.
Maritza Dejesus, academic counseling coordinator, said that the unexamined life is not worth living. Dejesus stressed that one must use their time effectively to get where you want to be. “Tools that work will put you in the direction you need to go,” Dejesus said.
Danielle Gannon, sophomore physical therapy major, said adjusting to her new workload is much harder than it was freshman year. “I participate in clubs, I enjoy working out and I love to hang out with friends,” Gannon said. “Trying to fit everything in and focus on my studies makes it hard not to daze off and procrastinate.”
The workshop provided games and activities that visibly helped students realize how they spent their time, as well as showing some unique time management tools to make life easier.
How would you spend $86,400? Hypothetically, you have to spend the money in a day; however, anything you don’t use you will lose. Everyone in attendance agreed that they would spend it all on cars, clothes, houses etc. “There are 86,400 seconds in that day and we don’t want to waste time,” Dejesus said.
As college students, it is difficult to identify and focus on what will benefit you in the future. Many students need to be aware of their poor time management, and then they need to define what is important.
A simple activity, such as students closing their eyes, getting spun around and having to point North, made everyone realize that “tools that work put you in the direction you need to go,” Dejesus reiterated. As everyone opened their eyes each person was pointing a different way. It wasn’t until they were handed compasses that they found the correct direction. Time management tools will point them in the right direction to show how the school year will end up.
“I care a lot about my grades,” Tori Giacino, sophomore psychology major, said. “I am very organized, but I don’t know how to manage my time correctly.”
Dejesus handed out index cards for the final exercise in the workshop. She asked the students to write the strategy they use to manage their time productively. Everyone gathered in the middle of the room with their response and switched cards three different times. This game was called “21” because their strategy was ranked one to seven by how much they thought it would benefit them.
“There is no one time management system that works for everyone,” Dejesus said. “the question to ask is, ‘am I focusing on the tasks that will help me achieve my goals and attaining the results I want?’”
Dejesus discussed the strategies students use to manage time effectively. Each individual has their own method to assist them in managing their time. Day planners, calendars and Post-it notes are commonly used to help students keep a schedule, be organized and prioritize.
We ourselves are the ones who define what is important. Different goals are set for different people because what is important is what has value to you. Discuss a system that works best for your personality and helps you stay focus on what’s important in your life.
The greatest advice Dejesus can give college students is the following:
“Dreamers only dream, but creators bring their dreams into reality. They make a plan and then take one step after another even when they don’t feel like it until they achieve their objective. Goals and dreams set your destination but only persistent purposeful actions will get you there.”
