Manage Your Time

In college you will need new time management skills. Unlike high school, where classes filled your day and teachers or parents may have closely monitored your time, in college you will have less in-class time, more outside of class work, and a lot of freedom and flexibility.

The following activities will provide you with a foundation for making sound decisions about managing your time so you can get the most out of your University experience.

Time Management

1. Identify Your Roles
   • Roles are how you label yourself based on what you do. Some roles require a lot of your time, money, or energy. Some may affect your emotional or physical health, while others don't weigh on you as much. Your roles might include things like student, marathon runner, employee, activist, or caregiver.
2. Prioritize your time to achieve those goals in your schedule.
   • Prioritize your goals/tasks and schedule your time accordingly.
   • Build blocks of time into your schedule for purposeful reflection, planning, and self-care.
   • Create “spare-time” blocks in your day; they are important and often disregarded when busy.
3. Prioritize Your Tasks
   • Start by prioritizing your tasks into different types - big, medium, and small.
     • Big Tasks: These high-priority tasks are important things that happen regularly at a set time. For example: classes, labs, work shifts
     • Medium Tasks: These tasks are important and must happen routinely, but the time is up to you. For example: study sessions, class readings, library research, self-care such as workouts and meditation
     • Small Tasks: These are tasks that are still necessary to do but they are flexible, can be done at any time, and fit in easily around the other tasks. For example: socializing, washing laundry, gaming
4. Build Your Schedule
   • realistic - everyone needs some down time    
   • flexible - sometimes things happen beyond your control 
   • human - include time for errands and other personal things
   • clear - set clear start and stop times

When you build your schedule it's a mistake to write in all of your small tasks first. Typically this doesn't allow for enough time to get the big, really important tasks onto your schedule.

Instead, schedule time-sensitive and important tasks first, medium-importance tasks second, and, finally, the small stuff can fit around everything else.

Contact Us

Office of Counseling Services

St. Joseph Academic & Health Resource Center

Building #13, Room 202

Office: 504-520-7315

Fax: 504-520-7943

Mailing Address

​1 Drexel Drive
P.O. Box D
New Orleans, LA 70125

Hours of Operation

Monday - Friday: 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM

After 5:00 pm - By Appointments Only

1:00 PM to 2:00 PM Closed for Lunch