Busy schedule? Me too!

The past few months have put so much stress on me that I swear my hair is going to start to fall out! It always seems that tests line up on the same day (Sometimes I swear that professors hold secret meetings to schedule tests on the same day!). I always have a paper due in one class or another (I just finished a paper last night on a documentary that my instructor hasn't even watched himself.). I have often wondered to myself: "How can I make more time for fun? I am constantly busy!"

LUCKILY I managed to get into the swing of things quickly! Here are some things that I did to help me manage my time better.

1) Buy a planner!!!! I can't stress this enough! I am literally addicted to my planner. My life depends on it. I write down due dates, upcoming events, etc. There have been so many times where I have forgotten about an assignment... Luckily it was in my planner! Seriously though, invest in a planner. You can thank me later. :)

2) I can't stress this enough, but... DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!!
Didn't hear it? Well I will say it again! DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hopefully that got through to you. This is the key to anyone's success. If you want time to hang out with friends, set deadlines for your school work... DON'T think that putting it completely off will make it go away.
                Here's a couple of scenarios for you:

             Your friends ask if you want to go to the mall with them (or anywhere) tonight.

You look at your handy-dandy planner and see that you have an English paper due next week, a math assignment due in two days, a Biology test in three days and a lab practical in one week. Your friends are coming over soon, so you decide to push your homework back until tomorrow, I mean, you have lots of time, right?

Wrong! Who knows when you will have time next? It's okay to hang out with friends, just make sure that your priorities are done. Here is what could have been done to make the situation better...

On Sunday you take time to study out your week in your planner. You just got the assignment for the English paper, so you make goals in order to get the task done. On each day of the week you write "write 1 paragraph on English paper" so that you don't have to sit for hours at a time in your desk staring at the computer. Same thing with studying... Write "study X minutes a day" in you planner and you will find that to be much more affective than cramming it all in the night before.

On Tuesday your friends ask you if you want to hang out. You already have 3 out of the 5 paragraphs done on your paper, have studied quite a bit for Biology and your lab practical, and have finished half your math homework. BECAUSE YOU BROKE YOUR ASSIGNMENTS INTO SMALLER SEGMENTS YOU HAVE MORE TIME FOR FUN... INSTEAD OF HAVING FUN ON MONDAY, TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AND THEN SLAVING AWAY AT YOUR HOMEWORK THE REST OF THE WEEK. This is a lesson that I have had to learn numerous times, and I still am tempted to put off assignments at times. But I have seen the positive effects of a little bit of work per day over cramming everything at the last minute. Trust me. Your life will be more enjoyable and your grades will skyrocket.