Pam Griswold
Published: February 22, 2006
In the world of a college student, time seems as if it is moving at warp speed. In addition, having a job shrinks that timetable to an indiscernible size. Keeping up with the rapid pace can become stressful, especially around midterms.
Sophomore Haley Satterfield is no stranger to this stress. She is currently enrolled in the last nine credit hours she needs graduate from PJC.
After going to class, Satterfield heads to Hemingway’s where she works six hours a day and seven shifts a week for a grand total of 42 hrs.
“You have to work to support yourself, so you do what you gotta do in the time you have to do it,” Satterfield said.
Satterfield declares she “lives by” her day planner. She uses it to make to-do lists and plan for the week ahead. The planner is handy, but she makes it clear that Hemingway’s is good about working around her schedule.
Her strategy for overcoming the lack of time is to pay close attention in class in case there isn’t time to study. She also likes to do everything early.
Willpower is another component of Satterfield’s strategy.
With a familiar look on her face Satterfield says, “You have to be strong willed,” when all of your friends want to go out to eat or party. “You can do it or you can’t. You have to be in control.”
Whenever Satterfield feels stressed out she will read, paint, or take some “me time” as she calls it.
Jogging also helps Satterfield unwind. She particularly enjoys jogging down Main Street.
“It’s sort of calm by the water and I can sort things out,” she said.
Satterfield is one of the many veterans of time management. For those who are starting out or for those who need a reminder, here are six tips from eCampusTours for balancing your schedule.
1. Set Goals-They let you know what you need to accomplish.
2. Prioritize-Once you know what needs to be accomplished choose what tasks are the most important
3. Organize- Being organized will help you achieve your goals in a timely manner.
4. Avoid Procrastination- Procrastination is the main downfall of achieving time management skills. Sticking to your schedule will help in avoiding stress.
5. Utilize Spare Minutes- For instance, if you find yourself waiting on a class to start with nothing to do, consider starting on those reading assignments from your last class.
6. Know When You’re Most Productive- Use your most productive time to tackle the tough assignments and save those that are less demanding for the times when you have less energy.
Finally, as midterms arrive, many students ask the age-old question, “Is there a way to put more hours in the day?” The answer is yes, but it comes at a price.
A tip for doing so comes from fellow journalist Nina Castillo. She explains that, “If you wake up one hour earlier every day, you will gain 15 days in a year.”
However, if you do not fall in the category of early riser, you should be able to succeed by following the advice of those who have scheduled their way to better time management.
