Latina on Campus: Time Management Tips

Feliz Dia! I am currently outside writing this article and let me tell you the weather is amazing. After the snow which happened last week, the following days have been nothing but the spring breeze. It makes me want to go to the beach and have refreshing drinks while soaking in the sun. Of course, I am not the type of person to really sit outside for long periods of time. I prefer sitting inside and laying in bed for the whole day. But going outside is nice, especially after a week of classes and crouching in the library trying to finish a paper last minute. 

There is a time for everything. A time to study, a time to relax, and a time to do what we please. While as college students we think that is impossible because our time is solely focused on school, homework, and work. We believe we only have time for those things but in reality, if we schedule them right, we can have time for anything our little Latino hearts want. 

I have a few things I use to keep myself accountable time especially when I have plans with friends or family. 

Calendar Apps 

I will never stop talking about calendar apps. They are my number one app to keep myself accountable and to know when certain hours are blocked and free. Whenever I have meetings I put them down on my calendar. My classes are all on my calendar. Another small thing digital calendars have are colors, from this you can color-code all of your classes, meetings, study blocks, relaxing times, etc. Color coding not only provides a visual representation of your day but it makes you feel productive and more willing to work at least that is the case for me. I highly recommend using online calendar apps for all my fellow college students. So whenever you want to make time for your hobbies or hang out with friends or just keep yourself accountable for studying, use online calendars.

Physical Planner 

A physical planner isn’t as amazing in my opinion as online calendars but it does its job. You can write down your assignments, any meetings, or any other important things you have on the list for the month. You can also plan ahead for breaks or trips with friends. Physical planners are more for future plans compared to Google Calendars where they are for present-day events and plans. 

Accountability Buddies 

Class assignments and homework can be boring doing them by yourself in your dorm. Having to sit there with your laptop screen blank because you can not find the way to start your paper. It’s boring and sometimes stops you from actually doing your work because you are distracted by other things on your phone, in your room, etc. The best way to combat this is by meeting up with your friends to study. Have an assigned time to talk about life and catch up and then finally sit down to start your work. You might get distracted wanting to talk to them but setting a 30 minute timer on your phone to work can help you a lot in writing your paper. Do not take your friends for granted, you might think you guys can only have fun or just hang out and stuff but in reality, you guys can spend an evening studying and doing work while hanging out. Just keep each other accountable for the time as you do not want to waste two hours just talking and not doing work. 

Have Designed Places to Study, Relax/ Different Environments 

You guys have heard about the never do your homework on your bed situation because you are just going to get sleepy and never get your work done. This is true for many things, the dorm room may be small but assign your bed to relax and sleep or whenever you want to watch a movie while crocheting or knitting while your desk can be for doing homework or working on some other important things. Also using the different buildings on campuses such as the student center or library to study can help you move around and not be confined to the four walls of your room, it can help you get work being in different environments. Also hanging out with friends at the dining hall or lounges in dorms can be a place to just relax. You have a whole campus to explore! Now that the days are getting warmer spend time outside, campus has different locations where they have tables to do work or just spend time. 

Of course, it all depends on your personal task and what kind of app or calendar you love to use. These are just the ones that I started to use and incorporate once I started college. Y les dijo, they have been a great help, especially since High School when my time management skills were all over the place. 

What are some of your tips for time management? Do you use any of these?