With finals quickly approaching, it is time to start thinking about how you plan to structure your time for the remainder of the semester. Here are just a few tips to help you improve your time management: 

1. Google Calendar is your best friend

Google Calendar is a central time management tool used around the CNU campus. From the beginning of freshman year students are encouraged to utilize all that google calendar has to offer. From scheduling meetings with professors or advisors to planning a lunch with friends, Google Calendar is your go-to tool to stay organized. There is an option to create different calendars that can be turned on or off depending on what you want to see on your schedule. As well as sending an email invite to people you are planning to meet with. To make sure you don’t get lost in the craziness of the back end of the Spring semester, Google Calendar is the way to go. 

1. A Physical Calendar/Planner

Not everyone has found that Google Calendar is beneficial to their time management strategies, and that is okay. A physical calendar can work just as well as long as you are keeping up with it. I know I am not the only one who buys a planner at the beginning of the year, only to ditch it by February, but for some people, a physical calendar is a lifesaver. Whether you choose Google Calendar or a physical planner, having a place to write down everything happening will help you stay on top of everything and organized. 

1. A Google Sheets list of assignments

One strategy that has definitely helped me stay organized this semester is keeping a google sheets list of all of my assignments. This is a tip learned from TikTok and has been the best way I have had to keep myself on track with assignments. You start off by going through each syllabus and listing out the due date, class, assignment, and then a check box. Then you can pick a different color for each class and fill in the rows accordingly. After you have all of the assignments listed, select all of the rows starting at the top and going to the bottom, click on ‘data,’ then ‘sort range,’  and finally click ‘Sort range by column (A to Z).’ 

As you complete assignments, just check off the box to the right, and it will be easy to track your progress through the rest of the semester. I like this tool because not only does it keep me on top of my assignments, but it also is essentially a countdown to the end of the semester.

1. Preparing for final papers now

Another tool to help you stay on top of your time management for the remainder of the semester is to start preparing for final papers now. If you have already been assigned a paper that isn’t due until the end of April, don’t push it off and procrastinate. If you start the outlines of the paper now with the information you already have and plan on what you want to say, it will be easier to complete the paper closer to its due date (and may even give you more time later to procrastinate). This tip will help you take a load off closer to finals and give you more time to focus on other things later. 

1. Setting alarms for breaks

The fifth and final tip I have is a reminder to set alarms for breaks. During this time, it can be easy to stress yourself out over studying till the last minute, but it is also important to take time for yourself. Setting alarms to structure your study time will definitely help you stay focused on your studying while also reminding you that it is okay to take a break. While getting good grades on finals is important, so is your mental health. During these last few weeks of the semester, make sure to prioritize not only your grades but you too. 

Obviously, there are many more time management strategies that would benefit many people, but these are just a few to help get you prepared for the stressful weeks ahead.