Time Management is the Key to a Successful College Experience by Courtney

Time Management is the Key to a Successful College Experience by Courtney - September 2014 Scholarship Essay

While visiting my first college choice, Duquesne University this past May, my parents and I met with the Department Chairman of the School of Business. After exchanging greetings and pleasantries, the first statement out of his mouth was directed toward me. He said "If you are not good with managing your time, you will not be successful in college." What a powerful statement! Thankfully, I had already known that the secret to being successful in any area of my life stems from being a good manager of my time.

I have witnessed first hand from living in a household of "6" that when multiple schedules need to be juggled, one has to be creative and a great manager of time. My parents have always conveyed to me that one doesn't have to be the best at any given task or in any given field, but that success largely is awarded to those who are the best prepared.

Possessing great time management skills was not something that came naturally to me. I had to teach myself how to study ahead of time for quizzes and tests when I knew that I wanted to become active in extra curricular activities in school. Once I began driving, I also wanted to earn money to save toward my college expenses, and so I added that component to my time management schedule. I started using a daytimer calendar that I carry with me to my classes in school, and I integrate that with my phone's calendar, and an app that I use for my work schedule. I sit down periodically through my week to plan out study time, sports practice time, and work shifts so that I am prepared to devote specific slots of time to each activity on my calendars.

The more I have disciplined myself to be a good manager of time, the easier it has become to juggle all of the activities in my life.

I truly believe that possessing good time management skills is going to be a key component to having a successful career in college. Not only will excellent time management skills serve me well during my college years, but they too will help me to lead a wonderful and successful life afterward. I am certain of that.