Time Management

During this first year at college I've come to realise that effective time management is key to success in personal and college life.   Being a mature student is hard.  Having to run a home, three children and college is very time consuming.  It was a struggle at first and a lot of adjustments were made by the whole family but it got easier when I learned to manage my time more effectively.  Here are a few tips that have worked for me.

Planning and Organising

First things first!  Buy a family organiser calendar.  I couldn't live without it now.  Take a little time to write in all the must-do events, appointments, kids lessons and sports etc. Even if the kids have practice at the same time every week - write it in every week.  This allows you to check the calendar and know what's coming up without having to remember everything.   Deadlines are important so write them on the calendar so the whole family knows they are coming up.

Make a List

Making lists is great for clearing your head.  I make short-term (daily) and long term (weekly or monthly) lists.  Prioritise your lists in order of importance.  Leave out the things that you DO NOT have to do.  Delegate jobs if possible or just learn how to say ‘no’.   It’s a little word and sometimes hard to say but explaining to people that you just don’t have the time will help.  We're not superheroes, we can't do everything.

Set Yourself Goals

Decide what you want in life.   Set short-term and long-term goals.  My first goal is to get through the first year and take it from there.  Set specific and realistic goals.  I've realised that there is no point setting unachievable goals; I want to be able to reach for these goals not collapse in the effort.

Flexibility

I had to become flexible.  Time-tables and good intentions go out the window when it comes to emergencies and family.  Try to factor in time for surprise events - they're a regular occurrence in our house.  When your daughter comes to you at 9:00pm and says she needs home made buns for the cake sale in school the next day - you have to be flexible, drop everything and make the buns.  If you factor in emergency time then it's a bonus when they don't happen.

Treat Yourself

Tell yourself you are going to “watch your favourite program” or “eat that cake” after you’ve finished certain tasks and stick to it.  Factor in time to treat the kids too, they will be much more tolerant of you studying if they get regular time with you.  Balancing work and play within your life is important so don’t feel guilty when you’re out with your friends enjoying yourself – it’s well-deserved, planned, play time.

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