One of the most important skills a college student should learn to master is time management.

Time management may not seem like it is something important, but developing this skill can anyone find balance with class, work, studying, clubs and organizations, leisure, etc.

Time is a limited thing, and some days it just feels like there is not enough time in the day to do every task you had planned to do.

This can lead to stress and franticly attempting to finish an assignment for class or studying for a quiz or exam that you forgot all about.

Time is everything for a college student and learning to master it is a skill that can help everyone become a better student, and it is only a few steps and a lot commitment.

One of the first steps of time management is creating or setting goals that you want to accomplish, can be either short-term or long-term.

With that list, you have created what is most important to you and those are the goals you must always go back to.

Next, write down all assignments, appointments, meetings, work shifts, etc.  It is best to have a calendar or planner to keep things organized, but writing it down in something you look at consistently is just as helpful.

The planner is one of the most important steps to manage time. 

It is everything you have to do right in front of you. 

It allows you see when things are due, when you have to go to a meeting to, to really just about everything you have to do.

It allows you to see when you have time to do homework, when you can study or time to just relax and go out.

Seeing a calendar or list of everything important in front of you is reliving feeling because you can expect nothing to sneak up on you.

It allows you to prioritize things by importance by completing things in advance.

You know when everything is due and where you have to be most days. 

You will not remember an assignment the very last minute and rush to do it, which may lead to a poor attempt and grade, because you should have expected the assignment.

The last step is reviewing your progress on your goals and checking your planner periodically.

If it were not for learning time management skills, I would be frantic mess every day and I would most likely forget most of my assignments.

It is something I learned early on in college, and it has helped me become a successful student.

When working two jobs, taking 16 credit hours, taking time to do all assignments, readings and studying, and still finding time to relax, time management was something I absolutely needed.

Time management is not a hard thing to learn and master. 

It just takes a lot of commitment and prioritizing. 

There are even things on campus that can help students like The Student Success Center that can help students to better manage time.

It just a few simple steps, and these few steps can lead to a more successful and less stressful semester.

Chris Picazo is a senior journalism major. He can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]