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We've heard the phrase, “time is money.” Essentially this means that time is the most valuable thing in the world because you can never get time back. It is for that reason, that while in college we must learn how to make the most out of our time. This will allow us to succeed intellectually and also give us the opportunity to get the most out of our college experience.
During my freshman year of college, I remember spending hours a day sitting in my room and doing my calculus homework. Unfortunately this time spent on calculus did not allow me to have many standout memories from my first semester. Sure my GPA was very high, but I wanted more from my college experience than just sitting in my room all day doing math problems. After that first semester, I learned how to optimize my time and perform well in my classes while still spending hours each day socializing and making those “college memories” along the way. So here are some tips that I have compiled in order to allow you to maximize your time, and save time in college.
- Utilize Class Time
One of the most common mistakes made by young students is that they waste their class time. This can happen in many ways through students simply shopping, watching Netflix in class, or from skipping class altogether. But class time is vitally important in college, especially when in classes required for your major. To best utilize class time, I often work through my homework assignment during each lecture. Oftentimes, you will be going over the exact material in class, and you will find yourself not only answering your assignments, but actually learning the material in the process.
However, this approach might not work for all students. Some students cannot focus on the presented material while trying to complete a homework assignment. If you feel that you are among those people, that is okay! Simply listening to your professor and taking notes on crucial points can not only help you learn, but can save you time when doing the homework later since you will already have the information written down. Now I understand that it is not easy to focus on taking notes or completing a homework assignment during class, but you must remember that doing this to the best of your ability will give you more free time.
- Learn Your Personal Schedule
The second key to saving time in college revolves less around class time, and instead focuses more on optimizing your own time. When it comes to learning your personal schedule, it goes beyond just knowing what time you have to be in class. When it comes to your personal schedule, I am referring to how many hours a night you need to sleep, have time to yourself, and just be you. This is something that can change from semester to semester, as it is possible that your 8 A.M. class does not allow you to sleep eight hours a day, or you realize that you want to spend more time with friends than you previously had.
Learning about yourself will not only benefit your connection between mind and body, but also allow you to build your day around your everyday needs. I learned that I do not need to sleep 8 hours to be successful with my day. While it may feel better some days to get that full sleep, I learned to adapt my schedule around only 6 hours of sleep per night. This allowed me to allocate two more hours a day to social functions or my homework. I knew that I did not need much time to myself as I am a very social person, and was able to take time that I would usually have to just relax in my room and put it towards hanging out with my friends or being productive with my work.
- Make the Most of Your Resources
When you analyze your surroundings in college, you will find yourself surrounded by the most resources you will ever have. Never again will you have access to not only so many of your peers, but also people who are very successful in a variety of fields from business, to science, all the way to the performing arts. This is the time when you will find some of the smartest people you will ever meet, and they are there to help you.
Many professors will have times that students can come for advice and ask questions. This can be a great chance to receive one on one learning, yet students choose not to take advantage of it. This time presents a golden opportunity not just to understand concepts that you may not fully understand, but also possibly develop a lasting relationship with a professor that can help you get a job in the future. For this reason, it is imperative that you go to office hours.
Use office hours to better understand material in your classes and get help with difficult homework assignments. This will allow you to propel your knowledge of the subject and complete assignments quicker. Spending time learning from your professors out of class will allow you to perform better in your classes and also save your time.
Conclusion on Saving Time in College
Overall, it is important to think about the amount of hours in a day, and how you can maximize them in a way that matches your priorities. Your college experience should be unique to you and what fits your life, so just adjust your hours accordingly. Obviously the reason we go to school is to get a degree, however, it is the memories along the way that will be talked about for years to come.
Make the most of your time in college, because it truly flies by. Some say work hard, while others say work smart, at the end of the day as long as your work gets done well, it is all the same.
