When do you find is the best time to study and do homework if you have a spread out schedule?

Hi Nolan,

Sounds like a busy schedule! College can be a fun and exciting time, filled with new experiences. Figuring out how to manage your time, and keep a healthy balance between school work and "fun", can be challenging for anyone, especially with the added pressure of participating in a sport.

Unfortunately, there is no “magic formula” for finding the right balance, and sticking to it. It requires skill, practice, and maturity. It will get even more challenging, as your responsibilities grow, too. Some day, you may have to balance a full-time job, paying bills, maintaining a home, and caring for a family. On top of all that, you’ll still need time for yourself, your friends and a social life. You may want to continue running, travel, volunteer – whatever activities you choose for a happy and fulfilling life.

So, learning to manage your time and balance your activities now, while still in college is a great way to develop and practice the skills you need, before the stakes get even higher.

Here are some suggestions that may help you succeed:

1. Stay organized: buy a planner or download a calendar app to keep track of class times, due dates, practice times, cross-country meets, social events, etc. Block out study time on the calendar, and stick to these commitments.

2. Plan ahead, and prioritize: take a look at your upcoming week, month and semester. Block out the time you need to finish your school work, before you say “yes” to social events. Prioritize carefully - there will always be fun social opportunities, but you only get one chance to pass that final exam.

3. Join a study group, or make plans to study with your team-mates once or twice a week. This will help you get in some social time, while still getting your school work done.

4. Schedule study time during your most productive hours. Are you a morning person? A night owl? If you align your studying with your most productive hours, you’ll get more done, faster.

5. Make the most of any downtime. Do you have a few hours between classes? Headed to an away meet? Will you be on a bus for 2-3 hours? Sit by yourself, or with someone else who needs to study, and use that time on the bus to catch up on schoolwork.

6. Schedule your classes in blocks, if possible: when you sign up for classes, try to schedule them together into “blocks of time”, instead of all spread out throughout the week. This will reduce the amount of time you spend travelling back and forth to classes, and may leave you with some longer, “free” blocks of time that can be used for studying or socializing.

When I was in college, my schedule was always so spread out. I found that time in between classes, was perfect for getting a head start at getting my work done. It made my life so much easier because I wasn't swamped with homework every night from every class, and gave me more time to do the things I actually wanted to do.