Dear Highlander,

I’m having trouble managing my time well. I always know when everything is dueand budget my time, but things never turn out the way I planned or wanted them to.What are some tricks you’ve learned to help you do things you want to do/study/complete assignments in a timely manner?

Sincerely,

Out of Time

Dear Out of Time,

Here are some tricks I’ve picked up over the years. Following these points helps me maximize my time and stay on-target throughout the day and semester. Hope they help!

Sincerely,

Your Fellow Highlander

1. Schedule your appointments
   If you think you can handle appointmentsby “winging it”, you are sadly mistaken, as most people tend tolosetrack of time. Once you set a schedule in an orderlymanner, it becomes routine and easier to handle.
2. Clear your mind
   When youare tired or otherwise distracted, you will be prone to errors and suffer from poor judgement calls. Make sure to get plenty of rest and eat well, as both can affect your thought process, which has a negative impact on your studying.

3. Leave room to breathe

It may seem like a good idea to make the most of the day byattending everyeventyoupossiblycan, but you will eventually suffocateunder stress. There will be times when the gap between two events shrinksand placespressure on your psyche, and that can ruin your whole day.

I suggest leavinga 15-to 30-minutegap between events, so you have time to rest, talk to friends, staff, etc.

4. Trim events when necessaryThere will be times when an event drags on ortakes longer than expected. This cancause you to be late for future plans. If an event is taking too long, the best thing you can do is trim it—cutwhat you’re doing short and move on. 
   1. Stretch events when necessary

   There will also be times when an event ends ahead of schedule. Try not to take this for granted,as that way of thinking could cause you tolose track of time. When an event ends early, takethetime to do things you did not planfor, such as double-checking your work, helping others, and going the extra mile. However, don’t let these extra actions causeyoutofallbehindschedule.

    

   2. Write down your schedule
      At most a person can remember two or three items on a schedule.
      It is not effective to plan an entire day in your head. Odds are that you are going to forget what you should be doingnext, because of what you are doing now. Make sure towrite the dateand beginningand end time of each event andcheck frequently to verify youare moving along your schedule.
   3. Important things to account for when making your schedule:
      Study time (start and end)
      • Transportation (try to make departure and arrival times part of yourroutine)
      • Eating (sometimes eating can last a few minutes or up to an hour)
      • Distance (it takes time to walkfrom Point A to Point B)
      • Breathing room for unexpected incidents and clear your head