The ability to effectively manage time is one of the most important skills that a college student can learn.  For some students, the words time management can conjure up images of restriction and control, but the goal is to be able to control your time instead of letting it control you.  Essentially, by managing your time, you are working to give yourself increased freedom and reduce the stress that is created by procrastination and the wasting of time.  It doesn’t matter who you are, you only get 168 hours per week, so it’s important to determine what activities you are currently engaging in to fill these hours. 

There is not single time management plan that works for all student in all learning situations.  But a good place to start is to divide up the tasks you do each day and figure out how much time is allocated to each one.  This method will also uncover any classic time wasters that may be hurting your productivity, such as spending too much time surfing the web or talking on the phone. 

Here are several times for getting the most out of your time:

Set Goals

Set goals for exactly what you want to accomplish.  Setting specific goals is a very important step towards using your time I a productive way.  These goals can be both short and long term. For example a short term goal would be to complete your History paper by the end of the week so you can spend time with your friends this weekend.  A long term goal would be to get a 3.5 GPA for the semester. 

Prioritize

Prioritize your tasks.  This involves figuring out which tasks are the most important to accomplish now and which one can be put on hold.  One way to help you do this is to list your tasking and then number them in order of importance. 

Organize

You need to organize what and when your tasks need to be accomplished.  An easy way to do this is by creating a weekly calendar that includes time for classes, study, and other personal activities. 

Self Awareness

Be aware of your best time of day.  Maybe you learn best in daylight hours so you can schedule study time for your most difficult subjects during this part of the day.  Some other people experience the same benefits by studying late in the evening.

Planning

Planning is important by we also need to schedule time for fun.  Recreation deserves a place in your priorities and will help you to digest all the new information you are taking in as a student. 

Helpful Links:

http://studytips.aac.ohiou.edu/?Function=TimeMgt&Type=168hour

http://www.studygs.net/timman.htm

http://www.ucc.vt.edu/lynch/TimeManagement.htm

http://www.cob.sjsu.edu/facstaff/nellen_a/time_management.htm