Save Time by Organizing Your Time: Time Management Tips from New Student Programs By Melinda McIntire

So you’re a couple of weeks into the semester and hopefully getting into the swing of things. But have you already forgotten an assignment? Missed a chapter you were supposed to be reading? Forgot to meet a study group? Wrote that reflection paper 20 minutes before class started?

Well, you're not alone. College students often say that getting organized and managing their time is the most difficult aspect of adjusting to college. But fear not: we in the Office of New Student Programs have some tips to help you get the most out of your time and be successful at Columbia.

First: Get a planner or some type of organizer that will help you. Put important events, assignment due dates or your class schedule into this organizer. There are a lot of free online options for this. Check out these ones that we like best:

There is a Google calendar built in with your loopmail account. You can create tasks, look at your friends' calendars, make to-do lists and set up alerts. It'll even let you subscribe to other calendars like sports team schedules or phases of the moon. You can also sync this with iCal, your iPhone, or your Blackberry.

You can also try out these online organizers:
How to plan a homework schedule
Remember the milk.com, an online planner

Or if you want to go the old fashioned route, use one of those things made of paper and spiral notebook- you know, a planner, like this nifty one you can pick up at the Columbia bookstore.

Second: Use your time wisely! Instead of spending 30 minutes on facebook looking at what your friends are doing, read a chapter for your next class coming up. Are you commuting? Use that time on the train or bus to get some homework done or plan your schedule instead of rocking out to your iPod. This may sound like an obvious tip, but really think about how much time you may be wasting away. Twitter “I am studying” and then actually do it.

Third: Learn to say no. Are you in 89 different student organizations? Does your creative posse ask you to head to every event happening in Chicago? Are you taking 22 credit hours and work 20 hours a week? Well, you have to learn to say no. Put school as your first priority on that long list. Reward yourself for finishing homework with a weekend night out with your friends.

Fourth: Turn off and put away all of those distractions. Now, we understand this can be difficult. In this world there are many more devices that are around you than when we were in college. Just try it: turn off your blackberry, sign out of your gchat and e-mail. Go somewhere where you can fully concentrate and your roommate won’t be blaring YouTube videos on high volume right next to you.

Last but not least: Make short-term to do lists and long-term goals. Think about what you have to get done this week, but also note that your term paper is due in November. So maybe this week you should be doing some research or starting the introduction. Don’t wait to the last minute and spend your night drinking coffee or Redbull cranking out 9 pages of incoherent, caffeine-influenced writing. Think and plan ahead. No one will think less of you and your sleep-deprived brain might thank you.

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