Time Management Hacks: How to Manage Your Time as a Busy Adult Student

How to set a study schedule and stick to it.

In the hustle and bustle of modern life, adult college students perform one of the most challenging balancing acts. Between full-time jobs, childcare and countless other obligations, the additional pressure to excel academically can make even the calmest among us lose their cool.

No matter how chaotic your schedule, mastering a few time management techniques can help you get it all done without sacrificing your sanity or your dreams. Here are some hacks to help you juggle it all and succeed:

1. Prioritize Tasks: Allocate specific times for studying, work, and family commitments and do your best to stick to it. Consider using an Eisenhower Matrix to categorize tasks based on urgency and importance to help you focus on high-priority tasks first.
2. Use Technology: Tools like Google Calendar, or even project management programs like Trello or Asana, can help you organize tasks, set priorities, create reminders and keep track of deadlines.
3. Create a Study Schedule: Dedicate specific blocks of time for studying and treat them as mandatory appointments. There is no greater advocate for your education than yourself — and carving out dedicated study time should never be an afterthought.
4. Set Realistic Goals: Can you read all your course materials or write that term paper in one night? Possibly. Should you? Probably not. Set SMART study goals and focus on making steady progress rather than aiming for perfection in your academic pursuits.
5. Stay Organized: Keep all your study materials organized and easily accessible. You can also use tools like Evernote or OneNote to organize your notes and resources.
6. Optimize Your Study Environment: Find a quiet, distraction-free study area and let your family, friends or housemates know your study schedule ahead of time to reduce interruptions.
7. Seek Support: Utilize academic support services such as tutoring, writing centers and study groups. You should also seek guidance from academic advisors or counselors if you feel overwhelmed.
8. Practice Self-Care: Be sure to get adequate sleep, exercise regularly and eat healthy meals. Techniques like meditation or deep breathing can help relieve stress and allow you to focus on the task at hand.

Time management is unique to every individual. At the end of the day, you simply have to do what works best given your natural abilities, nonnegotiable responsibilities and available resources.

But with these time management strategies, you can hopefully create some structure, feel in control, and achieve success both inside and outside the classroom. So, take a deep breath and get started — you got this!