Time Management and Scheduling

Learning Objectives

  • Explore time management and scheduling strategies

How to Effectively Manage Your Time in College

Transitioning from high school to college brings significant changes in how you manage your time. In high school, your schedule was mostly fixed with classes running back-to-back and structured activities filling much of your day. College, on the other hand, offers more flexibility but also demands greater responsibility. You have fewer in-class hours but are expected to dedicate much more independent time to studying, completing assignments, and preparing for exams. While this can be liberating, you may find that social opportunities conflict with academic expectations. For example, a free day before an exam, if not wisely spent, can spell trouble for doing well on the exam. It is easy to fall behind when there are so many choices and opportunities.

Recognizing the difference between fixed and flexible time is essential for managing your time effectively.

Key Takeaway: Fixed vs. Flexible Time

Fixed Time includes non-negotiable commitments like:

  • Class schedules
  • Exams
  • Work shifts
  • Appointments
  • Holidays and important events

Flexible Time covers activities that can be adjusted to fit your schedule:

  • Studying
  • Socializing
  • Meals and meal preparation
  • Running errands
  • Exercise and hobbies

Balancing these two types of time requires thoughtful planning. Begin by examining how you currently spend your 168 hours each week. Ask yourself: How much of your time is fixed? How much is flexible? Are you satisfied with this balance?

Link to Learning

Here is a time management calculator where you can enter the credits you are taking. This calculator auto-populates the three hours you’ll need to study for every credit taken. You can also fill in the hours of your personal life, the time you sleep, and other commitments. Seeing the time broken down may help you organize and prioritize.

Especially for students new to college, there are additional demands on your time. There is also the time it takes to adjust to college culture, college terminology, and college policies. What a student needs to know or learn may be different depending on where they are in the process of earning their degree. First-semester students may be learning basic expectations and the location of classrooms or other campus resources. Students in their last semester may be learning about applying for their degree, how to confirm they have all of their requirements completed for their goal, commencement information, or how to find a job. Whatever it is students may need to learn, it takes time.

Create an Effective Schedule

Given how difficult it can be to balance free time with the academic demands of college (along with all the other demands on your time), you should think about how you might create a schedule for managing your time.

Start with Fixed Events

Creating an effective schedule begins by identifying and prioritizing your long-term fixed commitments. Start by recording all non-negotiable activities, such as your class times, work schedules, holidays, family obligations, appointments, and important deadlines listed in your syllabus. These form the foundation of your schedule because they are set in stone and require your attendance.

Once you have big deadlines filled in, you can work backward, scheduling time to work on specific assignments, breaking them down into manageable tasks, and time to study for quizzes and tests. When planning to write a paper, for example, enter the final due date in your long-term planner. Then, set individual deadlines for each milestone in the writing process—creating an outline, completing the research, finishing the first draft, editing the draft, and preparing the final copy. By meeting these interim due dates, you make steady progress toward completing the assignment throughout the term. That sure beats trying to crank out all those pages at the last minute.

Pro Tip: Digital Calendars

Using a digital calendar is a great way to keep track of when your assignments are due and quizzes and tests are scheduled. Consider using the calendar included with your personal or school email, such as Google Calendar or the calendar app that comes preloaded on your phone such as Apple Calendar, to document these important dates. Creating your schedule digitally is extra convenient as it is easy to move events around as needed, and is easily accessed everywhere you go.

Fill in Free Time with Flexible Tasks

A student quietly reading her textbook.

Students may set aside specific times and specific places to study.

Once these fixed events are mapped out, you can thoughtfully fill in your remaining time with flexible activities. Allocate specific blocks of time for studying, making sure to plan 2-3 hours of study for every hour spent in class. Additionally, carve out time for social activities, exercise, hobbies, and daily errands. This balance ensures that you’re not only staying on top of your academic responsibilities but also maintaining a healthy and enjoyable lifestyle.

You can schedule these flexible tasks on a day-to-day basis rather than weekly if you’d prefer to have more flexibility. Start by brainstorming a to-do list of everything you want to get done. Then estimate the amount of time you need for each task, and rank each task by priority. Then schedule in time on your calendar to complete the tasks, starting with the most important. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t accomplish everything in one day, but praise yourself for making steps toward accomplishing your goals.

Pro Tip: Make The Most of Your Study Time

Regardless of your schedule, you want to make the best use of your study time. The following strategies are designed to help.

  • Study difficult subjects first: Start with your most challenging or least enjoyable subjects when your energy is highest. For example, tackle complex math problems in the morning rather than late at night. Save your favorite subjects for later.
  • Know your best time of day: Identify when you’re most focused—whether it’s early morning or afternoon—and use that time for demanding tasks like writing papers or studying for exams.
  • Use waiting time wisely: Turn small moments into study opportunities. Review flashcards while waiting for appointments or listen to recorded notes during your commute.
  • Study two hours for every hour in class: For every hour spent in class, dedicate two hours to focused study. If you’re taking 15 credits, aim for 30 hours of study time weekly, and avoid distractions to make this time effective.

Build in Buffer Time

After structuring your schedule, it’s crucial to build in flexibility and buffer time. Life is unpredictable, and unexpected situations are bound to arise. To accommodate this, include travel time between activities, schedule regular mental breaks to recharge, and allow extra time for larger projects and exam preparation. This built-in flexibility prevents you from feeling overwhelmed when plans change.

ADHD and Time Management

Executive dysfunction and time blindness, commonly experienced by people with ADHD, can lead to difficulties in managing time effectively. Individuals may struggle to track how much time has passed, underestimate the duration of tasks, or frequently miss deadlines. To cope with these challenges, strategies such as using timers, consciously tracking time for tasks, incorporating buffer time in schedules, and boosting dopamine through activities like exercise or exposure to sunlight can help improve time management and create a more structured daily routine.[1]

Have a Backup Plan

Finally, ensure you have a solid backup plan for emergencies or disruptions. Have a plan in case you experience technical issues with your computer or phone or cannot access your online classroom because it is down for maintenance. In this case, you should know where you can go for help with technical issues such as your institution’s information technology department’s help desk or going to your institution’s library to use a campus computer. It may also be helpful to download important documents from your online classroom at the start of the week to ensure if there are technical issues or scheduled downtime for maintenance, you have hard copies of the documents.

Pro Tip: Dealing with the Unexpected

As much as time management is a useful tool, sometimes life has other plans. Do your best to manage your time, but know that sometimes emergencies and unexpected tasks and events come up. Having a backup plan or a buffer in your schedule can help you plan for the unexpected and stay on track. If you fall behind, reach out to your instructors to make a plan to catch back up before you miss your due dates—instructors are usually willing to work with you if you reach out as soon as you know you won’t be able to meet a due date.

Effective time management in college means intentionally planning your schedule to balance academic responsibilities with personal well-being. Start by identifying your fixed and flexible time, create a thoughtful schedule, build in buffer time, and always have a backup plan. Remember that the purpose of creating a schedule is not to make you feel overwhelmed by all of the things you have to do, rather, its aim is to help you take a first step toward recognizing the demands on your time. Armed with the truth about how you use your time, you can make more accurate plans.

Questions and Answers About Schedules

Student 1: Do I really need to create a study schedule? I can honestly keep track of all of this in my head.

Answer: Yes, you really should create a study schedule. Your instructors may give you reminders about what you need to do when, but if you have multiple classes and other events and activities to fit in, it’s easy to lose track. A study schedule helps you carve out sufficient time—and stick to it.

Here is a tool to create a printable class study schedule to help you plan your time during the week from the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.

You not only want to plan your days in a week, you’ll also want to plan by the month and by the term. You may need to adapt your schedule to reflect your academic needs by whether you are on a quarter or semester system. Most colleges have resources for students to plan by the term so check your college’s website.

Student 2: Realistically, how much time should I spend studying for class?

Answer: This is a good question and a tough one to answer. Generally speaking, for each hour of class, you should spend a minimum of two to three hours studying. Thus, a typical three-hour class would require a minimum of six to nine hours of studying per week. If you are registered for 15 credits a semester, then you would need to spend 30 to 45 hours each week studying for your classes, which can be as much time needed for a full-time job. If you think of college as a “job,” you will understand that it takes work to succeed.

One important college success skill is learning how to interact with the course materials.  Think about learning a sport or playing a game. How do you learn how to play it? With lots of practice and engagement. The more you play, the better you get. The same applies to learning. You need to engage with the course material and concentrate on learning.

Access an interactive called The 168-Hour Exercise from the University of Manitoba. It can help you understand how you use your time now and decide if you need to make changes.

Student 3: Aside from class time requirements, should I account for anything else as I draw up my schedule?

Answer: This depends on how detailed you want your schedule to be. Is it a calendar of important dates, or do you need a clear picture of how to organize your entire day? The latter is more successful, so long as you stick with it. This is also where it will be helpful to determine when you are most productive and efficient. When are you the most focused and ready to learn new things? In the morning, afternoon, or evening?

Student 4: My life and school requirements change on a week-to-week basis. How can I possibly account for this when making a schedule?

Answer: Try creating a variable schedule in case an event comes up or you need to take a day or two off.

Student 5: I’m beginning to think that scheduling and time management are good ideas, but on the other hand they seem unrealistic. What’s wrong with cramming? It’s what I’ll probably end up doing anyway . . .

Answer: Cramming, or studying immediately before an exam without much other preparation, has many disadvantages. Trying to learn any subject or memorize facts in a brief but intense period of time is basically fruitless. You simply forget what you have learned much faster when you cram. Instead, study in smaller increments on a regular basis: your brain will absorb complex course material in a more profound and lasting way because it’s how the brain functions.

  1. https://www.verywellmind.com/causes-and-symptoms-of-time-blindness-in-adhd-5216523#toc-how-can-people-with-adhd-cope-with-time-blindness ↵