Creating a Weekly Time Management Schedule

1. Print out a Time Management Weekly Schedule
2. Fill in the following things on your weekly schedule with a ruler and pencil:
   • All classes
   • One hour for lunch and dinner
   • Jobs
   • Athletic or other practices
   • Regularly scheduled meetings (such as clubs)
   • Language or study labs
   • Meet with per tutors to study
   • Regular exercise or workouts
   • Any TV shows you always watch!
   Make photocopies of this schedule for weekly time management adjustments.
3. Fill in study time for one week on one of your schedules, based on the class work, tests, papers and projects that you have that specific week. As you schedule study hours, remember to keep in mind that different people study different ways. Some classes will take less time to study for than others, and other classes may require more effort. Be sure to ask yourself the following questions:
   • At what time of day do I prefer to study? Morning, afternoon, or night?
   • Do I prefer to study for several hours at a time or for short chunks of time?
   • What are my easiest and most difficult courses?
   • Will I study on the weekends? (Remember that Sunday is usually a study night that can be used for planning assignments and catching up.)
   Use your answers to these questions as a guide when scheduling your study time. Also, be sure to schedule breaks after a block of two hours of studying. This will help you to be refreshed and refocused!
4. Try your schedule for a week. When you schedule your study time for the next week, ask yourself what you liked and didn't like about the previous week's schedule, and change things accordingly. This will help you to create a schedule that is best suited to your habits and needs.

College Transition

Here are a few quick and simple things you can do to enhance the quality of this time and experience called college.

Be sure to stick with the basics. These include eating a balanced diet, at least most of the time. You know what the basic food groups are and how you should eat, and it is up to you to take responsibility to do that. Take the time to eat some of the good food that you need to keep yourself at an excellent level of health.

Research indicates that the average college student needs seven to eight hours of sleep to perform at their optimum. It is important to try to get to bed at about the same time and get up at the same time on school nights. Students often make the mistake of trying to set and reset their biological clocks by the first class they have. Even on weekends it is important not to stretch your time schedule too much. Many feelings of fatigue are really a function of irregular sleep patterns. Short naps in the afternoon or early evening can enhance your performance but they cannot take the place of regular sleep. If you work and you are a full-time student, try to limit your job time as much as possible.

A lot of college work is brain work, and you need physical exercise on a regular basis. Exercise can be solitary or done with friends, but it needs to involve both cardiovascular activity and the use of your large muscle groups. Exercise at least three times a week for an hour. Some exercise can be intense and some can be as relaxing as a semi-brisk walk with a friend.

Be smart on the use of alcohol as a drug. When utilizing alcohol, do so as a beverage to enhance a social event or a meal. The problem with alcohol used to the level of intoxication is that it not only destroys brain cells, but it takes your body too long to recuperate. It is your responsibility to make alcohol decisions sensibly. Your university counseling service has information that might help you make more responsible choices regarding this drug.

Take some time once a week to clean and reorganize your living space. When things are kept in order, people just seem to work more efficiently and more effectively. It is a disciplined activity that seems to help people manage their time and their life more effectively.

Relationships

College is a unique experience, and not all persons get to experience college. It is a period in your life where you have more choices, possibly more free time, and a wider range of activities. There is probably no period in your life where more significant changes will occur. Some of your relationships will change, and you will establish new relationships.

It is important to keep in touch with your family. College is a transition period during which you will develop new patterns for your life and evaluate the patterns that you have learned from your family. Developing new interests and life patterns, learning more about your world, and spending most of your time with your studies, may cause you to spend less time interacting with your family. You may find it helpful to find ways to ritualize your contacts with your family, such as calling at a certain time of the week or day. If you live away from your family decide on the number of visits that you will make to your home environment during each semester. If you live with your family, schedule times for family activities and for family conversations. Share your college experiences during these times and communicate any changes that are taking place in your life. Some of your family members may not accept the changes, but it is important for you to share with your family and to listen to what is changing in your family members= lives.

Set aside time to develop new and meaningful relationships in college. In college most people develop a series of acquaintances, friendships, and loving relationships. Take time to focus on these relationships, knowing that you will grow into some relationships in college and grow out of some of them. Work to make relationships a healthy and positive part of your college life. Counselors are available to help you define healthy aspects of relating and ways to improve your communication skills.

To make an appointment with a counselor come by the Student Services Office, located in Room W206 above the Bookstore or call 318.473.6545. The Student Services Office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.