I’ve been spreading the word about time management for a long time, and I wondered how students – such as peer tutors in the Success Center – scheduled their assignments and study time.

“Time Management is great when you use it,” English peer tutor Haley D. laughed wryly. 

She said it starts with keeping her planner up to date.

“Having a timeline helps you think about what’s important instead of nitpicking the little things.”

Peter B-F agrees. He is also an English peer tutor, but instead of a physical planner, Peter uses the Reminder app that came on his iPhone.

“It’s too easy to forget assignments without it,” he said.

Here’s what the Apple website posted about the Reminder app:

Use Reminders on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

With the Reminders app on iOS 13 or later and iPadOS, you can create reminders with subtasks and attachments, and set alerts based on time and location. You can ask Siri to schedule a reminder for you on your iOS device or your Apple Watch.

If you have an android phone, Google has a Reminders app that works in a similar way:

Beautiful and easy to use interface, minimum of clicks, try it and you will like it! 

Enter reminders directly in the list row at one click or voice input
Quickly create, delete, transfer and search reminders
Lists of reminders, tasks, shopping, missed calls, birthdays and more
Geolocation

“Time management can make you healthier,” Peter added, “because you can get more sleep.”

For those new to time management, it is about planning for the day and week which includes planning for enough sleep each night.

“It also causes less stress,” Haley said. And she’s right. A lack of time management routines often causes anxiety as the student rushes to complete assignments by deadline. College is hard enough without inviting problems.

To get started, click here to access the Success Center’s handout Strategies for Time Management. 

First, add all assignments and due dates in your planner or online calendar. Then to figure out when to study, fill out a time management grid (the last page of the Strategies for Time Management handout.)

If you need accountability or have other academic concerns, make an appointment for Success Coaching. Success Coaching is free and offers support with time management and other behaviors that affect learning such as test anxiety, memorization, or mindset.

The two tutors differ in their approach to time management and they complete assignments in different ways as well, but it works for them. Haley likes finishing as much of her work as she can as soon as it’s assigned. Peter spreads his work out over the week.

Whether you’re like Haley or Peter doesn’t matter as long as you have a system that works for you.  If you are struggling with time management, call or stop by the Success Center and schedule an appointment for Success Coaching.