School can be overwhelming and the best way to stay on top of everything is to keep yourself organized. Check out our six recommendations below for tips on how to manage your time effectively.

Using a daily planner can be a great way to keep track of all your due dates.

Record Due Dates

The best way to keep track of upcoming work, is to keep a record of it. When the school year begins, I look over all my learning plans and enter assignment due dates for the entire semester into my calendar on my laptop. If there are multiple assignments due on the same day, I will move up the due date for some of them, ensuring I complete them ahead of time and to avoid overwhelming myself. If you do not use a laptop, try keeping record through an old-fashioned agenda!

Along with staying on top of your work, make sure you are taking some time for yourself.

Prioritize

Most of us have other commitments outside of school, whether it be a part-time job or involvement in a club. Be sure to prioritize your time. This might be easier if you have a consistent work schedule, and on the other hand it may be more difficult if your work schedule is constantly changing. If you receive your hours ahead of time, be sure to plan your studying and other commitments around that.

Saying ‘no’ to social events is very difficult, especially with all the stress you may be facing with school. Use these fun events as an incentive to complete your work ahead of time!

Prioritizing your most important tasks is crucial for your overall productivity.

Get Ahead

Reading week is very beneficial for getting ahead. This tends to be when I complete my textbook readings and notes if I haven’t been able to keep up during the school year. For any online quizzes, I tend to complete them all for the rest of the course during reading week (that is, if they are open online). It’s a huge time saver and will set you up on the right track for the remainder of the school year. It will also free up some of your time throughout the school year so you can attend MSA events at the college events with your friends!

Your phone can be a great tool!

Reminders

If you don’t keep an agenda, your phone can be a great tool to use for reminders of upcoming tasks. One option is to download time management apps – the app ‘Trello’ is a digital alternative for a to-do list.

Taking time to exercise is a great way to de-stress.

Take advantage of schedule gaps

If you find that you have a large break between classes, use that time to complete some of the work you’d be doing later that evening. There are plenty of quiet spots on campus where you can work independently to catch up or get ahead. If you are feeling overwhelmed, or tied, you could also use that time to relieve stress by going to the gym – a Mohawk Gym membership is included in your tuition and it’s a great way to blow off steam.

It is very important to find a healthy work-life balance.

Find a balance

School can be stressful sometimes, so it’s important to maintain a healthy work-life balance. A full day of classes and studying can be exhausting. Make sure you give yourself time for breaks to avoid over exhausting yourself. I find even when I am studying, I will study one chapter, take a 15-minute break and move to the next chapter. This tactic is also helpful for retaining information rather than trying to learn multiple chapters all in one go.

By Olivia Santucci

Student Digital Content Writer