Time Management- The Secret to College Success by Jillian

Time Management- The Secret to College Success by Jillian - September 2014 Scholarship Essay

College is a new experience to every student just starting out. It is their first time away from home and their first time where they do not have to attend classes or do any homework. This new found freedom can lead to poor grades. In order succeed in college; a student must have excellent time management skills. Students need to be able to set aside time in their day or week for studying, going to talk with the professor and enjoying campus life.

When attending a college or university, every student must pay tuition that covers classes and other expenses. Because of this, it would make sense to go to class, to get the most out of the money being spent. Many students, especially during their first year of college stop going to their classes; they are away from home and it is no longer required. Students will stay up all night and then sleep during the day and not make it to their classes. This becomes a problem because they are no longer succeeding in their classes. It is important to set aside the times throughout the day to do class work. This is important to success because the professor might offer additional help with difficult material or they might even give extra credit. Setting time aside throughout the week to read the material in the textbook for class or to do homework problems the professor said might be helpful is important to success.

In addition to setting aside time to go to class and learn the material independently, it is also important to set aside the times when the professor or teaching assistants have office hours. By doing so, a student can ask questions about the material they did not understand in the textbook or in the lecture. The professor appreciate students who attend office hours more and are more willing to help them because the student proves that they are trying and they want to succeed in the class. This helps to form a professional relationship with the professor. This relationship can become more beneficial later on in a students career. If a student needs recommendations for graduate school or jobs the professor will be more likely to assist them because they can attest to the student’s work ethic. If a student does not set aside time to meet with the professor regularly, the student can become stressed the night before a big test or final and come to the test completely unprepared, not knowing the material, which will cause the student to do poorly in the class.

College, however, is not all about studying. It is important to have a good time during college and enjoy activities both on and off campus. With this being said though, students need to be able to manage their time so they are not out enjoying college all the time. College can be stressful and it is important to go out and have a good time to relax but not all them time. If students set aside specific days or nights to go out, it will better help them succeed in college. If students go out every night, they will be too exhausted to go to class and they will not have enough time to study. It is essential to find a balance between the two.

To succeed in college students must truly have a grasp on time management. They must find a schedule that works for them, where they set aside time to study and go to class, time to meet with the professor or teaching assistants, and time to have a good time and truly enjoy the college experience. If students are able to do this they can succeed in school, achieve their degree, and move on to bigger and better things.