ELIZABETH POBLETE attends Xavier College Preparatory in Phoenix, AZ.
She will be attending the University of Arkansas as an Honors Fellow in the
School of Engineering. Her advice:
The basic principle of time management is as follows: do one thing, and one thing only until it is finished, then move on. This means, put your phone away so texting, Snapchat, Twitter, and Instagram aren't distracting you while doing homework and therefore adding to the time spent doing homework. The most important guideline to time management, especially with homework, is a simple question: “What do I need to complete tonight so when I get to class tomorrow, I’m not kicking myself for not completing an assignment?” Secondly, and almost equally important, “What can I do now so I won’t have to do it on my most busy day, when I have work, practice, volunteering, etc?” Understanding your schedule is essential for time management because there might be days in which there are six hours to do homework after school, and some days when there might only be one or two. Finally, make a schedule. It doesn’t need to be written down or set in stone, but it is important to know that on Mondays, for example, you will get home at a certain time, eat, then do homework for a certain amount of time, then have dinner and relax for the rest of the night. CAITLIN HALE earned her associate degree from Camden County College in
2009 with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average and is now in her third year of
medical school at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. Her
advice:
Staying focused on schoolwork can be a pretty daunting task, especially with all of the social media apps pinging in the background. I use an app called SelfControl, which lets me set the amount of time and specifically which apps I want to avoid—including Facebook and Instagram. It sounds old school, but what I found to be the most effective way to manage my time was to buy an agenda with a big calendar. I handwrite what topics I need to cover and how long I need to be studying that topic each night. So when I get home from class, I set my SelfControl app for the amount of time I
allotted and get to work. Something I find just as important to staying focused is scheduling in some “me time.” I make sure that every night I dedicate at least one hour to myself. Whether that is just watching a television show or going to the gym, it is a key factor in decompressing each day. This was especially important when it came time to study for my first medical licensing board exam. I would have been burnt out within the first few weeks of study boot camp if I hadn't taken the time each day to go for a walk outside or hit the gym. I think this balance is what allows students to succeed in all aspects of their lives.