3 Easy Ways to Manage Your Time While Searching for Colleges
Time Management Definition
Let’s make sure we’re on the same page looking at the time management definition.
Wikipedia defines time management as “the process of planning and exercising conscious control of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity”.
How to Better Manage Your Time
Here are 3 easy was to help you better manage your time!
1. Look at the big picture and break down the tasks. **Bonus: use a calendar or planner.**
You want to have one place where you need to track all of the activities you have as a family. This includes major family events, the school calendar, your work schedule, any travel, extracurricular activities, and as you get closer to applying to schools, the dates and deadlines for applications and scholarships.
In our family, we share a google calendar where we post birthdays, family events, doctor’s appointments, work meetings, school due dates, and any other items we need to be aware of. We also color code the event or appointment types so we can see at a glance what we need to do. When we plan ahead we also make sure we won’t miss anything. The worst feeling is knowing we missed a date or deadline.
As you prepare for college, your big tasks may include things like researching careers, searching for potential colleges, narrowing down your college list, or going through the application process itself.
2. Break the big tasks down into smaller steps.
Have you ever heard of chunking a project or assignment in school? Chunking is breaking down larger projects, assignments, or tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces. The same concept is going to apply to preparing for college.
I have worked with many students that look at the big picture and feel completely overwhelmed and truly believe they will never get anything done. That is the farthest thing from the truth. That family may not know where to go or the steps to take with their college search, but I remind them they don’t know how to do it yet. A colleague of mine recently asked a student how you eat an elephant. When she looked confused, he told her we’re going to eat it one bite at a time.
As an example, looking at identifying the colleges your student wants to apply to, you don’t have to know everything right away! In episodes 2, 5, and 7, we discuss the first few steps you will take in the college search process. When you work with me for 1:1 coaching, I will go into more detail and give you the tools to see what to do in each of those steps.
3. Look at due dates and set time limits.
You want to be able to stay ahead of schedule with your tasks, which makes sure you meet your deadlines. Some days you are exhausted and don’t necessarily feel like working on the tasks you need to. When you work ahead and know your due dates, you can have more flexibility to take a break if you need to.
To review, there are 3 easy ways to manage your time.
- Look at the big picture and break it down – use a calendar or planner.
- Break the big tasks down into smaller steps.
- Look at due dates and set time limits.
During 1:1 sessions, I go more in detail about how to manage your time and help you be confident in the next steps in your journey!
Episode number 6 goes into more detail about setting up meetings to help ease the stress of when and how to have conversations about the college search process. If you haven’t listened to it yet, please go back for more helpful tips!
If you’re interested in setting up a 1:1 coaching session, please send me an email at admin@confusedtoready.com! I look forward to continuing to serve you and your student!
When you prioritize and focus on those time management skills, you will be able to have the free time you want and need, while managing your multiple responsibilities.
Let me know how these strategies have helped you! If you have any questions you want me to answer on the podcast, please Download my guide on How to Start or Expand Your College search at www.confusedtoready.com/howtostart
Serving you and your student,
Courtney
