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If you could go back in time and give yourself any time management tips, what would they be?

I have not done a great job managing my time, but I am working to get better at it as I finish up high school career. I know that I will have a lot more free time in college, and I do not want to spend it all binge watching Netflix. #thankyousomuch

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Thank you comment icon If I could go back, I would have sought out help through my university's counseling center much sooner. If you start feeling demotivated or apathetic about your college work, it could be a warning sign for depression, anxiety, or something similar. No shame in getting help and learning how to manage and overcome that, and the sooner the better. When we know and understand the root of these behaviors and feelings, better time management follows. Chrè M. Davis, MSEd
Thank you comment icon Outstanding advice. I suffered from depression my college years and it was a source of alienation that eroded my self-confidence. Getting treatment early is the best course. Drew Mitty
Thank you comment icon Howdy from Texas Tara, Chicago is such a busy place, there is so much art and good food, go out and have responsible fun with responsible people! INFLUENCER HABITS 1. Make it a point to sleep on a select time to feel refreshed every day 2. Partake in exercise as if it was a normal thing like brushing your teeth even if it means waking up to walk thirty minutes 3. Pick a food or meal plan that works with your body along with hydration 4. Repeat strong affirmations as well as words of mercy to yourself to become better the next day These reinforcer habits contribute to your overall lifestyle for building the best reputation and self esteem Nasima Bachelors of Science
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Natasha’s Answer

For me, the biggest thing is keeping a log of how you spend your time. You'd be shocked at how long you can spend idly scrolling your twitter feed etc. There are some great apps that can help you do this. I've also had deals with friends and teachers that I check in with them every few hours.


The other thing which has been mentioned is a to-do list. At my college we call them "Done is Good" lists and attach little rewards for each thing. It makes the World of a difference!
Thank you comment icon Through the different applications there are those who accompany you and help you improve your level and find a job that matches your profile MACC MIND
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Desiree’s Answer

Hi Tara,

If I could coach my younger self, I would make better use of calendars! It took me a long time to appreciate how deadlines pile up around midterm and finals. If I had reviewed and compared the syllabus (or schedule) for all of my classes and added important deadlines to a calendar, I would have had a better idea of the total time needed to meet these competing deadlines. It also helped create a visual representation of all my assignments.

I should mention we're all bad at estimating the time to complete a task. There's a term for this called the "planning fallacy". I manage software development schedules as part of my job, and I see the effects of this every day. This article provides a good overview with tips for combatting planning mistakes. If you're looking for a deeper dive into time management, I'd recommend Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. You should be able to find it at a public library. He gave a talk at Google about his book, which is available on YouTube.

I agree with other respondents about to-do lists. I still use them daily in my work.

Another recommendation for making the best use of the time you've set aside for school work is to discover the conditions where you're most productive. For me, I enjoyed studying at the library or other quiet places with few distractions. I struggled to concentrate at home because there were too many distractions between roommates, TV, and snacks. Experiment with listening to music, or background noise, like Coffitivity.

Desiree recommends the following next steps:

Buy a paper calendar or use Google Calendar to track the deadlines for all of your assignments
Read an article on the planning fallacy and how to combat it - https://medium.com/the-mission/the-planning-fallacy-why-you-miss-your-deadlines-and-what-to-do-about-it-db5e162307b7
Watch Daniel Kahneman's book talk on Thinking Fast and Slow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjVQJdIrDJ0
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Sudha’s Answer

I would invest in my mornings. Be a morning person. Start your day by waking up roughly at the same time, with a good bedtime. Wake up, do some stretches, meditate and at first journal your brain dump of ideas and a to-do list of what you want for the day. Update your calendar with appointments - make everything an appointment, including going to the gym. Trust me, it happens better if its an appointment.

Sudha recommends the following next steps:

Establish a daily routine
Maintain a calendar for your schedule
Keep a To-do List
Exercise - Cardio, Core and Strength
Use devices/social media only during breaks
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Waseem’s Answer

In addition to the other replies, what I have found to be extremely useful is to do a short course on a topic you really enjoy. It does not even have to relate to what you want to/ are currently studying. For example. I am studying Law and Commerce, but I am really interested in software programming, and so I completed an online introductory Python Course.

This is useful in many ways. Firstly you will have your time occupied in something you enjoy, and will therefore not need to find excuses to avoid it.
Secondly, you will also invest in yourself by learning new skills. Many employers look for individuals who are multi-faceted and well rounded. Short courses in other fields show that you are competent in more than one area. It also garners within you the desire and focus to achieve more, thereby motivating you to use your time effectively. In my experience, this is because the feeling of accomplishment when I finished my online course gave me the desire to achieve more.
I wish you the best of luck!

Waseem Moosa
Thank you comment icon Well done! Elizabeth Wassenaar
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Liliane’s Answer

I would say to take all the opportunities as much as I could right after High School. It was the perfect timing to choose a career in my point of view.
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Sedanur’s Answer

If I could go back in time, I would organize everything. Creating to-do lists are really helpful to manage your time. Also, I would create a list about the things I am spending too much time, in other words, I would observe myself. Lastly, I think I would use Pomodoro technique which is quite useful for both managing the time and studying effectively.
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Nick’s Answer

I've seen a few answers address the initiative of recording, tracking, and evaluating your time. It may seem like overkill to plan things like free time, social time, and sleep, but as you gain more responsibility in college, this will become crucial in separating you from your peers and remaining emotionally healthy.

You don't have to go crazy planning every hour, second, and minute of your day at first (though growing to separate your days by the hour can become a great skill to increase your income and get the most of your social life). You can simply start by mapping out your goals for college. Ask yourself what is it that you want to get out of your time there. Don't stop with your academic goals, make social goals, skill goals, specific accomplishments, etc. Do some research and see how you can get involved in non-academic activities and clubs at your university. This is a great way to force yourself to learn time management and prioritize, while making connections, building leadership skills, and growing socially.

To sum up, I agree with the approach of closely logging and recording your time. But make sure you give yourself time to consider what is most important to you, and what you want to accomplish while in school.

I hope this helps and best of luck!
Thank you comment icon Good advice. Elizabeth Wassenaar
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Adam’s Answer

The best way for me to manage my time, especially when I feel overwhelmed by the work, is to break down what I need to do into lists. For me, crossing off lists has the added benefit of being therapeutic, and it with helps with my time management. I will also set timers, so I know that I am using my time wisely and if I can use a break and still make the times I need. I usually schedule in a time to watch an episode of the office, go on a walk, etc... I know that taking a break seems like a step in the wrong direction, but I feel that a break to clear my mind, actually makes my thoughts clearer. If im on a roll and my scheduled break comes, I usually continue my thoughts and then take a break.
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Stephanie’s Answer

One of the problems I had was I would wait until the last minute to finish essays or projects. Make it easy on yourself and break up the essay and project and do a little bit each day. Keep a list of things you need to have completed by the end of the day, and give yourself little breaks in between each task.

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Kiran’s Answer

If I could go back I want organize more science outreach programs to students teach them why and how to study science and importance of education.

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Eliza’s Answer

I would reach out to my counseling services department and career counseling services department to steer me into what gives me life and passion. never doubt myself and abilities. learning outside of academia. and investing in a hobby not to make a profit later but to find solace in something other than productivity
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Magali’s Answer

Setting a consistent schedule early on in college can be helpful. Plan out every hour in your week (we all have the same 168 hours in a week) and maintain some flexibility as you’re going through the week (bouncing back when your schedule doesn’t go your way is just as important as setting your schedule.) And remember that time management is always an ongoing compromise between what you want to do and what you have to do, setting your priorities will help you determine which one requires more time versus the other.
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Karissa’s Answer

Definitely using an agenda/calendar and writing down what I want to get done in the next week and then important events, exams, assignments each week/month! Visually seeing what you need to do helps you plan ahead and know who much time you need/have for it! Even though it seems like extra work, you are actually saving yourself time in the future by not having to stress about what you need to do that day or "not being productive." Schedule in your school, work, family, tv, fun time! Schedules don't need to be boring! Find what style works for you! A physical calendar, mobile, to do list for the day/week! Try them all and see! Hope this helps!
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Nancy’s Answer

If I could go back in time to different points in my life where I was struggling with time management or doing a lot of procrastinating over being productive, I would tell myself to take some time and check in with how I’m feeling and to see what might be causing my poor time management. Is it that I don’t have a good routine for the things I need to do? Do I get distracted with activities going on around me, lose track of time, and end up arriving late to classes or work? I was usually fairly good about this type of time management and there are some great strategies out there to help with this. You can develop a weekly study routine; have a set time you go to sleep and wake up to keep yourself on a regular schedule. You can use a planner or smart phone to manage appointments, track assignment due dates, list chores or tasks that need to be finished, things like this.

I also know that my old self would have been stuck when the poor time management (aka procrastinating) was because of other reasons such as fear of failing, anxiety related to wanting to do something perfectly, or feeling overwhelmed because I wasn’t sure of what to do. These feelings are super uncomfortable for most and can negatively affect your mental health. I would tell my old self, new self and anyone now that if they feel this way and are struggling, to seek help and guidance. The other posters for this question are spot on with this advice too. No need to suffer when you have these feelings as there is help.
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Mary’s Answer

If you find that you have a hard time getting started with your "to-do" list because it's easier to watch TV, try telling yourself to just do whatever you need to do for just 10 minutes. What often happens is that after 10 minutes, you get involved in what you're doing and you don't remember to stop! And if not, at least you've gotten started and next time it will be easier to get back into the task.
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Zachary’s Answer

In addition to keeping a to do list, I rank my to do list in order of importance and urgency. For example, my essay may be due tomorrow, and my final project is due next week. The final project ranks higher in terms of importance, however, the urgency of the essay places it at a higher priority.

Zachary recommends the following next steps:

Make your to do list
On a 1 to 10 scale, give each item it’s own score based on importance.
Do the same thing only this time for importance.
This is up to you. Create your own method for determining priority based on importance and urgency.
Based on your determination of priority, you can then choose which tasks to tackle first. A lot of times the priority of an item changes, at least for me, on a day today basis.