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Time Management Tips
7 Time Management Tips for balancing school and CF
Most young adults with CF learn to be ninja time-management experts. From managing different appointments to juggling treatments, people living with CF understand the importance of prioritizing health, and do so amidst any number of other obligations. Adding college, career and an active social life however, can make an already full schedule seem overwhelming.
If it’s time to step up your time-management game, here are 7 time-management tips that may help you keep up and get it all done.
1. Add Everything:
The smallest due dates are the easiest to overlook. And it’s hard to schedule your time if you don’t have some sort of calendar. Both Microsoft and Apple have easy-to-use calendar tools included in their operating systems. No computer? No problem. Try a wall or desk calendar, or a day planner to track important dates and times.
2. Plan Ahead:
With your calendar filled with due dates, treatments, and appointments, you can see your days and weeks laid out, so you won’t be surprised by term papers or midterm tests. Your calendar will also come in handy if you get sick and are unable to attend class.
3. Be Flexible:
You can’t plan for the unexpected. Allow for things to shift without derailing your entire day. If you can prepare for 80% of your day using your calendar and a schedule, managing the 20% you can’t predict becomes easier to handle.
4. Don’t Get Stuck:
If a calendar on your laptop or desktop isn’t working for you, go mobile. Try tracking dates on your cell phone or, old-school, in a day planner. The important thing is to have your schedule easily available to see what’s coming, so you can plan for it.
5. Get (and Stay) Organized:
Figure out what routine works best for you (and your roommate) and then stick to it. When time is tight, you don’t need to waste precious minutes digging around for your nebulizer, books, or house keys.
6. Laidback Multitasking:
It’s not a contradiction in terms. Laidback multitasking is a way to do multiple tasks without working up a sweat, like studying while doing a treatment. You can do more than one thing at a time. Commuting to and from school on the bus? Need to do laundry? Take a textbook or your laptop to get a little work done, too.
7. Reward Your Discipline:
Give yourself a break. Block out some time to unwind; for example, organize a dinner with friends, play video games, or steal an hour at the park.
There’s no fighting the fact there are only 24 hours in a day, and only one you. Implementing some or all of these time-management tips, however, might let you squeeze more out of every hour, and provide a little more breathing room in a hectic and full life.
Adapted from:
Lynn, Kelci. 8 Time Management Skills for College Students Learning How to Manage Your Time in College Can Be Critical for Your Success. http://collegelife.about.com/od/academiclife/a/timemanagement.htm. Accessed September 17, 2009.
57 Time-Management Hacks for College Students http://www.collegeathome.com/blog/2008/05/21/57-time-management-hacks-for-college-students/. Accessed September 17, 2009.
