Time Management when Preparing for College
Making the decision to return to school is a huge one. It would be horrible if a half of a semester into your courses, you realize you don't have enough time. So take the time now to write out a time budget. Much like a financial budget, a time budget is a written plan of how you will use your time to achieve a goal. Graduation isn't going to happen on its own, you have to work hard and use your time wisely to reach that day. This is especially important if your choice of study is through a distance learning program.Step 1: Track your time:
The simplest way to track your time is with a daily planner, with an appointment calendar that is broken into hour segments. With an ink pen, begin by writing in all of your regular time commitments for two weeks. As things come up, write them in pencil, or another color of ink. Write down everything you do; from watching T.V. to surfing the Net, from housework to hobbies.
Step 2: Prioritize:
After tracking your time for two weeks, go through your calendar. Use a highlighter and mark all of the things that are necessary. This should include your work, family and house care, and anything else that gives your life importance (i.e. hobbies, volunteer work, and spending time with family). With another color, highlight the things that make you happy. This could be some of the things that you already highlighted, and also entertainment and spending time with friends. With a third color, highlight anything that you see as a waste of time, unimportant, or irrelevant to your life's goals.
Step 3: Cut out waste:
This is perhaps the hardest part of any budget. It will take time and adjustment, but if you are determined to return to school you will make it work. As you look through our highlighted calendar, all of the wasteful time spending should stand out. This will be the time you know you can spend on school. Depending on the program you desire and the type of learning you decide on, you will be able to tell if you have enough time. I take accelerated online courses, each class lasts 5 weeks and I only take one at a time. This "costs" me, on average, 20 hours a week.
Step 3: Plan for success:
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