Many college students claim to have no time in their schedule to study, exercise or even sleep, however it’s often time management and lack of motivation that lead to an unproductive semester.
College life is full of responsibilities and it can seem overwhelming at times.
Is spending time finishing that season of “House of Cards” or browsing for cute cats on Facebook really more important than studying for a test?
According to a study in the Journal of Educational Psychology, there is a correlation between how well college students manage their time and the level of stress they experience and their academic performance. Those who practice time management behaviors perceive that they perform better academically. The findings of the study also show that feeling in control of the situation is related to lower levels of stress.
Time management is a crucial key to maintaining control of your academic and personal schedule and thereby lowering levels of stress and increase positive academic performance.
Students should make time to exercise, socialize and relax throughout the week, planning specific periods for leisure activities and studying. Planning short mental health breaks during the day is helpful to maintaining concentration on papers and textbooks, but spending two hours on Pinterest can be a detrimental habit.
Students should prioritize time for their benefit. Every year students spend thousands of dollars to study at the University of Idaho — they should moderate their free time and limit the hours spent being unproductive.
With effective time management and prioritizing, it is possible to study, sleep, exercise and accomplish whatever needs to be done. Because a failure in time management often will lead to cramming, panic studying, weight gain and the other horrors that cause college students to have nightmares years later.
Students who need help with time management and prioritizing should use the Academic and Support & Access Programs, which provides many programs that aid students. One program, SSS-Trio is available for undergraduate students with academic need and demonstrate one or more of the following: financial limitations, first generation college student or a documented physical or learning disability. SSS-Trio offers assistance with study skills, educational planning, tutoring and learning strategies.
Consult the resources available to you or utilize the calendar on your iPhone, because contrary to what you believe, you have more time than you think. And management of that time is crucial to academic success.
–AE