VICTORIA SHOCKLEY was a straight-A, honors student at Wakefield High
School and recently graduated summa cum laude from NC State University in
only three years. Her advice:
Combine multiple tasks together. Sometimes, there literally aren't enough hours in the day to do everything. Find an opportunity to combine several things at once - maybe you do homework or study while on the bus, or you listen to an audiobook for class while cleaning your room. You have to do all four things eventually, but this way you can maximize time that you might otherwise have spent being idle (such as a bus ride). That way, you cross two things off the list at once! Learn to say no. I know it can be hard to turn down social events or extracurriculars, but it's important to know your limits so you don't overload yourself. If you know you have a busy weekend with friends coming up, try to limit your social calendar during the week so you can get the next week's homework/reading done early (if it's available in advance). While it may be disappointing to stay in on the weeknights, you'll have a stress-free, school- free weekend to look forward to. If you're working while in school, see if you can take on fewer hours during busy weeks, like midterms and finals. Stay organized!! I can't emphasis enough how staying organized helps people manage their time. Prioritize your tasks by what's the most important / due first, and don't just have a long-term To-Do list - create a small one each day to give yourself a concrete idea of what needs to get done. Maintain a clean workspace, which eliminates constantly having to sift through papers and binders looking for your work. Take notes in a planner, whether on your phone or hard copy (I use both!). It's especially helpful to write down important dates, like tests and paper due dates, as soon as you get the syllabus. Also, for
very important reminders that you absolutely cannot miss, I'd suggest the Reminders app on the iPhone so you can immediately be notified even if you haven't yet checked your hard copy planner. Limit your time on social media until AFTER your work is finished. This is a big one - it's so easy to get distracted scrolling through our Facebook newsfeeds or checking out photos on Instagram. We can start chatting with a friend or surfing through Twitter and before we know it, half the night is gone. Not only that, but if you're trying to write a paper and stopping every five minutes to check a notification, that paper is going to take so much longer to write...and the longer it takes and the later it gets, the more sleepy you become. In between classes or lunch time are great opportunities to check your profiles, but otherwise wait to log in until after your homework/studying and other responsibilities are complete!