Time Management is the Most Important Skill for College Success by Molly

Time Management is the Most Important Skill for College Success by Molly - September 2014 Scholarship Essay

The skill I believe is most important to success in college is time management. I know many people would name studying, or determination as their most important skills for collegiate success, but time management encompasses so many other important fields, which is my main reason for believing it to be the most important.

Sooner or later, every student is going to be faced with having multiple assignments, projects and tests thrown at them like rapid-fire. Of course it’s totally normal to stress out and complain about how much there is to do and the short amount of time to get it done, but with well-developed time management skills, these situations will go much more smoothly. I know from personal experience how necessary it is to map out my free time during the week to figure out just how much time I have to work, sleep, eat, do homework, spend time with friends, get involved in extracurricular activities and anything else I might want to do. Knowing how to manage my time wisely allows me to prioritize my To-Do list in the most efficient way possible. For example, if I am scheduled to work 20 hours in one week, on top of the 4 hours of classes I have per day, I can allot times specifically for driving to and from campus, to and from school, and whether or not I can do any homework in between busy periods.

Time management is also a great way to keep stress levels under control. If I had no idea how much time I should spend cleaning my room or doing chores, and wind up wasting two hours that could have been used to apply for a new job or bust out that essay I’ve been meaning to get to, I can only imagine how exasperated I’m going to feel when I realize that I should have been using my time for something more important. When I plan out my schedule, including times for homework and relaxing, I’m going to experience less anxiety over “do I have enough time to finish my math quiz tonight?”

I believe that time management is the skill that is most important to success in college. Managing your time wisely will help you to prioritize tasks, use free time efficiently on things you need to finish or start, and ultimately lower stress levels by making sure one day isn’t jam-packed with all the assignments you procrastinated on for a full week straight.