Written and Media by Lauren Buser.
—————————————————————————————————————————————–
It’s the fourth week of classes at GC and students are either settling into their routines or becoming overwhelmed and unorganized. If you’re struggling with managing your time, here are a few tips to help structure those awkward spaces between classes, meals, work, and practice.
Late Classes, Early Mornings
If you’ve been in the college scene long enough, you’ve learned how to set your schedule up with later classes to sleep in and stay up late. However, starting your day early has its perks. Even getting up an hour earlier could give you a head start on studying or time to work on another page of that lengthy term paper due at the end of the semester. Chances are your roommate will still be sleeping or quiet making it the perfect time to get work done without distractions.
The Piece of Cake
We all have that awkward amount of time between classes, meals, work, and practice that we don’t know what to do with. Instead of napping or watching Netflix, get those easy discussion posts or worksheets completed. Do the quick assignments that won’t take long to finish. Don’t try to work on lengthy projects or papers, instead, take the time to study for an upcoming test or create a study guide for a later time! If it’s a “piece of cake,” don’t push it off until the last minute. Complete the simple tasks in your spare moments.
The Campus Commuter
If you commute, chances are you lounge around campus waiting for your other classes to start. Take this time to set up meetings with professors and advisors or get together with members for a group project. If you have more than an hour break, create time blocks to work on homework or run errands. Creating small goals for yourself will help you stay focused and accomplished.
Friends
Some of you may find this hard to believe, but you don’t have to wait until midnight to hang out with friends. Use that thirty-minute break between lunch and classes to get coffee at Jo’s. It’s difficult to stay disciplined when you have nowhere else to be, so that set amount of time will give you some quality time with a friend and keep you on schedule for your next class. If given the opportunity, most of us would spend more time hanging out with friends instead of studying. So, try using your daily breaks to socialize and your evenings to work hard and focus.
In the busyness of the semester, don’t forget to take some time for yourself. It can get overwhelming trying to keep up with your schedule, so take some downtime and relax. It will help you stay out of homework tunnel vision and give you a chance to enjoy yourself.
Have a funny story, a tearjerker, or even an idea on life that you’d like to share? Contact the Papyrus and have your story published! Email Lauren Buser at lauren.buser3717@panthers.greenville.edu and your story could be told!
