Take Time To Smell The Roses…

As a student, it is sometimes hard to find the time to do what you want to do. You need time to study and you need time to work. Maybe you would like to be more involved in a club or activity. Maybe, just maybe, you want to be able to hang out with friends.

Depending on how long you have been out of school, things may seem hectic. Even fresh out of high school, things may seem too easy. Until… You see your first assignment is due tomorrow and it happens to be a 1000 word plus essay. Easy right?

If you have read any of my past blog posts, you know that I am a huge advocate of scheduling. I always recommend writing down assignment days in a calendar to stay organized. In addition, I also recommend putting the due dates a day or two early.

So there is that. But what I want to share with you isn’t just that. Writing down when assignments are due is only part of it. You need to figure out when to work on them. You know when they are due, so now you need to figure out how much time you need to spend working on them.

Personally, I like the idea of a couple of hours a night when possible. This way I can keep the information fresh in my head. Also, it splits it up evenly throughout the week. Because of this, I am not buried under homework for hours and hours.

What this does is spread your school work load up over a period of time. If you put in 2 hours a night, Monday through Friday, you have put in 10 hours of study time. Put in another hour a week and you are up to 15 hours of study time. If you are like me and put in about 4 hours a day, you easily put in 20 hours per week.

If you work part time, then you add in 20 or 30 hours a week for that. So now, you have filled your day with studying and working 40 to 50 hours a week. With 24 hours in a day and 120 hours in a 5 day work week, you still have 70 to 80 hours left. You have to sleep so subtract 40 hours for that (assume 8 hours for sleep). As a result, you now have 30 to 40 hours left.

Now, if you are working full time AND going to school full time, it isn’t going to be easy. You are going to be tired. For you, these tips are invaluable. You won’t end up with 30 to 40 hours… But still, they are a few. Unfortunately, that can easily get spent in travel time to and from work.

Did I mention we still haven’t discussed Saturday or Sunday yet? The point is, you have the time to do what you want. You just have to schedule it. Be proactive and don’t procrastinate. Take the time to go out, smell the roses, and enjoy the journey you are on.

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