College is a time of freedom and new experiences, but many new college students find that their biggest challenge is how to manage their time.  Simply keeping some pointers in mind can help out a great deal. 

The first and most simple thing for a college student to get is a useful calendar.  It doesn’t matter if it is a paper calendar or something digital such as an application in their cell phone so long as it is used.  Use this calendar to write everything down, including time to do the laundry, time to study and time to hang out with friends.  Be sure to only have one calendar, as having multiple places to store information can be almost as overwhelming as not having one at all.  When finals comes around, you may even have to schedule time for sleeping!  

Things that take a lot of time to study or prepare for, such as tests and term papers, should be put into the calendaring system as soon as you know about them.  With these large projects entered early, you can also count backwards from the due date and enter in a start time to begin the project.  Too many college students find themselves trying to cram at the last minute and fall short of completing things on time, or complete their projects poorly. 

Having a part-time job to help pay for college is an experience many college students also must deal with.  Asking for the work schedule as far in advance as possible makes it much easier to schedule work and studies.  Very often, if you tell your employer when you are free to work, it is possible to work during that time. 

Be sure not to schedule every hour in your calendar.  People who do this often find they do not follow their calendar because they are just too exhausted:  everyone needs time to relax.  If things change or happen at the last minute, having free time will allow you to shift things around.  And, when studies become overwhelming, free time will also help students to unwind. 

The skill of time management is the most critical, but most often overlooked part of a college student’s life.  The difference between a good student and a struggling student is often their time management skills.