10 Easy time management tips for new college students

10 life-changing time management tips for new college students. I think we can all agree that time management is a little challenging no matter what stage we are at in life.

However, managing time becomes especially difficult when we are transitioning from one schedule/routine to another. 

Add another layer to the fact that when you join college for the first time, you are in a totally different environment. Away from your family, away from the norm.

All factors together can make time management all but impossible, which is why I put together this list of incredibly helpful time management tips for college freshmen students. 

If you’re a college freshman, I hope this helps.

10 life-changing time management tips for new college students

1. Download your class schedule

One of the first things that will help you save a ton of time and get a better handle on your time as a college freshman is to download your class schedule.

As a college student, your class schedule is king. Take it from me.

A little story time for you.

When I was a college freshman, that first week I kept on getting lost. Our campus was pretty huge, with a million classes all over the place. 

On top of that, my classes were also spread out throughout the campus, and walking around a new place aimlessly as a college freshman was so very frustrating for me. I was about to burst out crying several times that first week.

It is why I’m insisting you download your class schedule.

Your class schedule is important for several reasons.

Your class schedule has the location of your class, it lists the building, the classroom number/code, the class time, the class frequency as well as the faculty member taking that class. 

This will save you a ton of time and energy. 

2. Download your bus/train schedule

This is another one that had me in tears. I can’t emphasize this enough, if you take public transport that runs on a set schedule, make sure you have that schedule on your phone.

If the schedule is something you can pick up at the station, then having one on you doesn’t hurt.

I have written a whole post on tips for commuter college students, so you can click the highlighted portion of this paragraph to read it. 

Be sure to use the transport schedule in coordination with your class schedule. That’s actually the number one reason to have it in the first place.

With that schedule in hand, you’ll have no reasons to be late because you know what time to take the bus or train to make it to your scheduled class.

3. Use technology to your advantage

Be sure to use technology to your advantage. 

I shall link a post on various apps that will make your college life 100 times better, so for now, I shall only touch on the basics of time management.

Use Google calendar to keep track of all the important things. All the exams, assignment deadlines, and all that should go to your Google calendar.

Google apps suite also comes with Keep which is a Notepad/checklist app that you can access right in your Google apps suite.

What’s great about Google calendar is that you can access it on all your devices regardless of where you are because it’s linked to your Gmail account.

I also recommend you use Forest for timing your study sessions and for keeping you focused during rust sessions. 

4. Set reminders for EVERYTHING

College comes with a brand-new set of responsibilities and for that reason, you need to set reminders for everything.

Why?

Because everything is new to you, right? I mean even though you had classes in high school, and now you have classes in college the class schedule isn’t the same right?

That’s why it’s a good idea to set reminders for everything. All your classes, appointments, meetings, activities, all of it.

God, I wish I knew this when I had just joined college. So many things fell through the cracks that the first year in college, so please use this to your advantage.

Setting reminders will help you maintain time blocks for various activities. It will ensure that everything stays within its allocated time block, helping you better manage your time [I so jealous].

5. Make a classroom buddy

Making a classroom buddy might not help you manage your time directly, but making a classroom buddy who is always punctual to class and seems to have a handle on things can really get you in line.

I mean, show me your friends, and I’ll tell you your character, right?

Sometimes internal motivation isn’t enough to get us where we need to be.

Try and make a classroom buddy who is way better than you at time management. They will show you how they got so organized and help you improve how you manage your time.

6. Ask for help

This will save you a ton of time.

Accept that you are new to college and simply ask for help. No one is expecting you to know your way around. That is why all those offices exist. They exist to help you adjust to your new environment. 

Don’t know anything? No problem. All you have to do is ask. It’s that simple.

This goes back to the first story I shared at the beginning of this blog post. I got lost like that whole first week before I got used to where the classes were.

Don’t be like me, though. Campus guards are usually crawling all over the place. Stop one of them and ask them where the building you’re looking for is. 

Once you get to the building in question, most likely there is a reception area, walk up to the guards at that station and ask them where the classroom you’re looking for is.

This will save you from wandering aimlessly around campus.   

7. Create a routine

Your class schedule is king.

That much should be already established. Use it to create a daily routine that you shall have to follow diligently until the semester comes to a close.

Keeping to a consistent routine will help you better manage your time and help you create a routine you can rely on.

As a new college student, you’ll need something to rely on, something to make your new college life easier somehow. 

There is nothing better for that stability and comfort you’re looking for than having a consistent routine.

8. Have a set bedtime

You might be wondering what having a set bedtime has to do with time management, right?

Sleeping at the same time every day lets you know exactly how many hours you have in a day to complete all your tasks.

Is the relationship becoming more apparent?

If you sleep at 10 pm every day, then you know that by 10 pm you ought to have completed all the tasks for the day.

When you wake up, you can plan your day accordingly. This will help you manage your time most efficiently.

9. Time your activities

I feel like I’ve mentioned this already, however, if I haven’t, it’s a good idea to time all your activities.

How long does it take to get ready in the morning? How long does it take for you to get to the college campus? How long does it take you to take your lunch? 

Timing your activities will help you better manage your time. Why? How?

Who was it who said that if something can be measured, it can be improved? The same goes here.

If you know exactly how long all the activities you have to undertake in a day, then you can make adjustments and improvements as needed, right?

10. Hold yourself accountable

This point is last for a reason. It holds it all together and without it, none of this will work.

You have to hold yourself accountable.

I’m not promising any miracles here. Your first couple of weeks will be a little or a lot challenging. That’s just the effect change has on most of us.

However, with these tips, you should be able to get a handle on managing your time as a new college student.

In conclusion, no one is expecting you to be this amazing manager of your time from the get-go. However, they do expect you to have a grip of yourself sooner rather than later.

Come the second semester, no one will be cutting you any slack. Forget the second semester, one month into it and everyone will be expecting you to be this mature, responsible, self-governed college student.

It’s a little harsh, but that’s just how it is.

If you just got into college, congratulations. I hope this post helps you manage your time effectively as a new college student.

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