What to Prioritize?

College is complicated, but when you account for extracurricular activities and social life, college can become overwhelmingly hard to manage. Homework, projects, exams, club meetings, making friends, interviewing, and creating resumes; these tasks seem difficult from the outside looking in. But there are ways to manage these tasks.

UniversityResources

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Rutgers University, we recognize time management skills are not easily acquired. Balancingclassesandoutsideactivitiescan be challenging. The university has many different ways to get help when planning theseactivities.Oneresourceisourself-

-guided time management workshop which you can utilize at https://rlc.rutgers.edu/node/95 . The workshop allows you to learn different strategies that can help you excel in your in your management skills. This can, in turn, help you prioritize your tasks and keep you on top of your obligations. The website also gives you access to other services like peer tutoring schedules, writing tutoring schedules, coaching appointments,workshops, peer group coaching, study groups, learning assistance programs, and other campus partners

These tools can be a great resource if you need a guiding hand to help determine what should be prioritized. It will allow you to see things from a different perspective, and sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves is to get help from someone who has a different point of view. You may see the glass half empty, but someone else may see it half full, and sometimes that difference is all it takes. The resources can be found at all five Learning Centers. You never have to struggle alone. You may also be able to get assistance from your professors. Professors may be intimidating; however, they are there to help you progress through college and have been in your position before Professors may be able to give tips, life advice, and other services to help. If these options do not seem appealing, take an introduction to a management class. These classes can help provide you with skills to not only help yourself but equip you with the skills to help others. You will be able to learn leadership skills, time management skills, and socialization skills that can help you with your future career as well. that difference is all it takes The resources can be found at all five Learning Centers.

You never have to struggle alone. You may also be able to get assistance from your professors. Professors may be intimidating; however, they are there to help you progress through college and have been in your position before.

WaystoManageyourTimeon YourOwn

You have the ability to work on time managementskillsbyyourselfaswell.One can figure out ways to prioritize goals, delegate tasks, make decisions that will benefit your overall well-being, set goals (and stick to them), stop procrastinating, and most importantly, keep yourself healthy. One way you can find your priorities is by using the Priority/Eisenhower Matrix. A short youtube video about this matrix can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=49ao86ETaSo.

The matrix helps you prioritize tasks through a series of four boxes. You will organize your tasks through 4 quadrants: urgent, not urgent on one side, and important on another. If the task is urgent and important, you do it first. If the task is important but not urgent, you will make a schedule and plan time to complete it by being more proactive. If the task is urgent but not important, you can delegate it. This means that you can try to delegate your tasks to other people if possible, or you can try to do them with the help of others. If the task is not urgent or important, it should be last on your list. You should not do it above your other tasks.

Taking care of yourself is a Priority.

Just because you can increase time spent studying by decreasing time spent on socialization and physical activities does not mean you should always take these activities out of your day. Even when school is getting complicated, make sure to take time to prioritize hobbies, friends, or clubs. “Taking purposeful breaks (anywhere from 5-60 minutes) from studying to refresh your brain and body increases your energy, productivity, and ability to focus” (Corrnell Health, 2023). These can include deep breathing, tidying up your workspace, and eating, but make sure to take care of your mental headspace and not just your social and academic life