Report: What Colleges Should Know About Teletherapy and How to Pick the Best Telehealth Vendor for Your Students
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By Lisa L. Lewis
University life means more flexibility and freedom. But it also makes managing your time in college even more important, which can be challenging—especially if you haven’t been in charge of your own schedule before. If balancing it all seems tricky, the following tips can help you feel more organized and stay on top of it all.
This resource is to support all students, but we know that different people experience different demands and time pressures because of their circumstances. We hope this resource can benefit everyone wherever they’re at, but we also acknowledge these very real challenges and differences.
Here are effective ways to manage your time in college.
You’re probably spending a lot less time in class compared to when you were in high school. You may not even have scheduled classes every day. So, it can be really helpful to come up with a general plan for how you’ll spend your time, both on the days when you have class and the days you don’t.
This includes blocking out time for studying and getting assignments done. You may want to build in chunks of time for this, which might include going to the library to work on your homework or studying with friends.
Or consider blocking out a specific period of time to study before getting together with friends. If you socialize first, it can be easy to delay or avoid getting your work done. Figure out an approach that works for you.
If it will be helpful for you, come up with a system for tracking what’s due and when. Many free apps can help:
If you prefer an analog approach, you could mark due dates on a paper calendar, create a to-do list on a notepad, or use an academic planner. And if you find that tracking your to-dos adds stress or makes you feel as if you’re not keeping up, let go of that approach and be compassionate with yourself.
Determine which method works best for you to help you track your work and deadlines.
Some assignments and activities are more important than others, and some may seem more exciting or compelling than others. It’s natural to want to put off doing an assignment that seems harder or less fun.
Breaking a daunting or boring assignment into chunks can help you get started in a way that seems less overwhelming. For example, you might break up a 10-page essay by:
Learn more about how to reduce stress by prioritizing and getting organized
Having free time gives you a chance to relax, catch up with friends, think, play, or take a nap. If you’re not sure what to do when you don’t have set activities, jot down some ideas ahead of time. For example:
Doing a mental check-in to figure out how you’re feeling can help you figure out which options make the most sense.
Find more tips on balancing academics, extracurricular activities, and your social life in college
Not having to wake early for class every day (and not having a curfew) can make it easy to stay up late. But if you’re not getting seven to nine hours of sleep a night, you probably won’t feel your best. If you’re regularly falling short of this amount, try to figure out what’s getting in the way and make some adjustments.
Here are some places to find it:
If you or someone you know needs to talk to someone right now, text, call, or chat 988 for a free confidential conversation with a trained counselor 24/7.
You can also contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741-741.
If this is a medical emergency or if there is immediate danger of harm, call 911 and explain that you need support for a mental health crisis.