Schedule Your Classes in Blocks

YOUR TURN

Work Together

Share your current schedule with another student and explain what you like or dislike about it. If your current schedule is not working well, discuss why that might be and identify changes you can make next term.

If you’re a commuter student or if you must carry a heavy workload to afford going to school, you might prefer to schedule your classes in blocks without breaks. Although taking back-to-back classes allows you to cut travel time by attending school one or two days a week and might provide for more flexible scheduling of a job or family commitments, however, it can also have significant drawbacks.

When all your classes are scheduled in a block of time, you run several risks. If you become ill on a class day, you could fall behind in all your classes. You might also become fatigued from sitting in class after class. When one class immediately follows another, it will be difficult for you to have a last-minute study period immediately before a test because you will be attending another class and are likely to have no more than a 15-minute break. Finally, remember that for back-to-back classes, several exams might be held on the same day. Scheduling classes in blocks might work better if you have the option of attending lectures at alternative times in case you are absent, if you alternate classes with free periods, and if you seek out instructors who are flexible with due dates for assignments.

TIME MANAGEMENT: DO IT!

Now that you are aware of common college time-management problems and know some tips for organizing your time and making good use of your schedule, it’s time to carry out the priorities and goals that you have set. Here are a few final tips to help as you set forth to successfully manage your time in college:

  • Before each term, talk with other students, counselors, tutors, and instructors about the time demands of different classes.
  • Determine what a realistic workload is for you.
  • Reflect on how even the classes and assignments you enjoy the least are relevant to your interests and goals.
  • Remind yourself of the possible consequences if you do not get down to work. Then, get started.
  • Create a to-do list. Check off things as you get them done. Use the list to focus on the things that aren’t getting done. Working from a list will give you a feeling of accomplishment.
  • Break down big jobs into smaller steps. Tackle short, easy-to-accomplish tasks first.
  • Promise yourself a reward for finishing the task, such as watching your favorite TV show or going out with friends. For more substantial tasks, give yourself bigger and better rewards.
  • Do not communicate by phone, e-mail, text, Twitter, or Facebook, and don’t go online during planned study and homework sessions. If you study in your room, close your door.
  • Turn off the computer, TV, CD or DVD player, iPod, or radio unless the background noise or music really helps you concentrate on your studies or drowns out more distracting noises (e.g., people laughing or talking in other rooms or hallways). Silence your cell phone so that you aren’t distracted by incoming calls or text messages.
  • Try not to let personal concerns interfere with homework. If necessary, call a friend or write in a journal before you start to study and then put your worries away.
  • Develop an agreement with your roommate(s) or family about quiet hours. Say “no” to friends and family members who want your attention; agree to spend time with them later. If that’s not possible, find a quiet place where you can go to concentrate or take advantage of time when others in your household are sleeping or gone to focus on academic work.
  • Make your academic work your top priority. It should not take a backseat to extracurricular activities or other time commitments.
  • Take on only what you can handle. Learn to say “no.” Do not feel obligated to provide a reason; you have the right to decline requests that will prevent you from getting your own work done.
  • Spend time with your financial aid office mining opportunities for paying for college expenses before adding more hours to your workweek.
  • Remember that college should take only a few years of your life, so any shuffling you do with your priorities and commitments will be temporary. College needs to be high on your list of priorities, which means that other priorities will have to shift until you finish.