Unfortunately, many students assume that they can take it easy once they reach college. This is a common misconception of many new university students; that college is little more than a four-year party with a gigantic cover charge.
The truth is that being a university student means a much more work and dedication to studies. It does not mean there's no room for fun, but there it must be strictly regulated to ensure educational success.
The key to successful combination of study and recreation is time management.
Managing time between academics and recreation is not easy, as many university students can attest. It is important to set realistic goals to avoid failing to achieve those goals and becoming frustrated. Goals should not be too simple, lest failure occur from doing too little; goals should be both challenging and achievable. Typically some degree of trial and error is required to find the proper level of challenge.
Many factors should be considered when doing a time management plan. For example, it is important to determine both what the specific goals are going to be, as well as when the work to meet them will be done. This works to avoid the pitfall of procrastination.
A university student is most definitely not at a loss for activities to undertake. Without parental supervision and assistance the myriad of small tasks that all must be personally dealt with can become overwhelming. Not all the amenities of home may be readily available. It may be necessary to drive to the laundry rather than walking to the laundry room, and shopping for groceries and cooking meals may be required. For freshmen it can be very difficult to adjust being a college life.
It is the student's responsibility to manage the time for these activities with the time necessary to study. There is no outside regulation or enforcement to prevent poor planning from destroying overall performance. This provides training for life as an adult, and despite the tendency to view the sudden glut of freedom as license to act on whim, self-control and discipline are vital to a successful academic career.
Passing each and every exam scheduled should be the minimum goal of any academic plan. It will be necessary to study thoroughly and manage time properly to achieve this.
Time management tips for college:
Set an achievable number of goals. Having too few will yield no satisfaction and will increase the likely of academic failure due to lack of action. Too many will often cause a sense of being overwhelmed, failure, and frustration. Avoid this by listing every goal that must be achieved, writing them down, and prioritizing them. Remember to be realistic and find ways to organize the goals so that they can all be completed.
Once the goals are organized according to importance, assemble them into a plan that allows completion of goals on a realistic and achievable schedule. Further break this plan down into weekly and daily goals. Make an effort to leave as much room for reorganization as possible, since life has the habit of disrupting even the best laid plans.
Flexibility is key. If a task takes more time than expected, quickly reorganize the daily or weekly goals to keep everything on track. If extra time is found, consider using it to get ahead of goal as insurance against an unforeseen future delay. Always remember that no plan is set in stone. If mistakes are made or reality turns what once seemed possible into the impossible, start over and re-plan. Creativity often means the difference between success and failure here.
It may seem obvious, but include time to sleep in the plan. Always welcome a break. Too much work and too little rest will wear nerves and cause stress, ultimately resulting in failure on goals. If stress levels simply get too high, take a break and catch up later.
Finally, always remember to have fun. Celebrate the completions of goals by going to parties or whatever recreation is most enjoyable to you. As time management is done more effectively the time available for doing fun things will increase.
