As a student athlete, time management will become as important to you as your team’s next victory. Between academics and practice, athletes quickly learn that this balancing act is tough to maintain. A typical day might play out like this: wake up, breakfast on-the-go, school, practice, a little Sudoku to relax, dinner, homework and then bedtime. Where’s the time to hang out with friends, or join a school club
Time management is the answer, and here is how you can hone this skill:
Spend less time on social media – Facebook and Twitter are great for keeping up with new friends, checking in with old friends and current events, but it comes at a cost: TIME! Consider spending no more than one hour on social media a day to conserve your time.
Use a planner and a calendar – There are a ton of ways to keep on task with school, practice and events. Using a planner will allow you to elaborate on assignments and avoid confusion. Additionally, many studies have proven that hand-writing assignments drastically help in retaining information. Lastly, supplementing a planner with a calendar will help solidify your organization. Google Calendar is a great organizational tool as it syncs your activities to your smartphone. It can even send you text message alerts to remind you to be somewhere!
Plan ahead – Use your planner or Google Calendar wisely. If you know you’ll miss class and/or a test or assignment because of sports, talk with your teacher earlier rather than later to ensure you cover all of your academic bases.
Use your weekends wisely – Down time is essential to keeping yourself mentally stable. Sleeping late and hanging out with friends are great and encouraged, but make sure to set aside some time for getting a head start on next week’s assignments.
Turn off your phone during study time – This will be a game changer. Studying and homework require all your attention. Text messages, Facebook updates and Snapchats can and will distract you, thus wasting your very scarce time.
Get into a weekly routine – The practice of routine will drastically help in settling into your rather hectic college life. Be sure to set deadlines for certain classes, so everything gets done when it needs to.
Learn to say no – Know your limits. Make sure that you are comfortable managing your current schedule before adding on to your to-do list.
Happy Semester, Students!