- Kerri Holiday
The Importance of Time Management
As a college student, managing your time is a huge factor. Without some sort of organization, one might have difficulties keeping up with what they should be doing. After completing my internship over the summer, one thing I quickly learned was to prioritize my schedule. I was given projects daily to complete within a timely manner or assignments that needed to be finished on a deadline. No matter the situation I was always ready because I was aware of how to manage my time. Here are three useful tips that will help college students or interns manage their time:
Be organized. Get a planner, preferably one you can write in. Yes, it is easier to type this information into your smart device, but what happens if the information gets erased or deleted? If it makes you more comfortable, then jot the information down in both. But remember to always have a plan B.
Be practical. Don’t overload your schedule. Think about how long it takes you to complete a project on average. From there determine how many projects do you feel you are capable of taking on. Of course everyone would like to get all of the recognition for completing all of the projects, but realistically speaking that wouldn’t be smart. Okay, so there are some people who think they are ‘superhuman’ and take on all the tasks thrown their way, but for the average Joe/Joanne taking on five or less is enough for them.
Always communicate. When managing your time, you have to communicate with either the project manager or your team in a timely manner. If you are feeling swamped, overworked, or like you’re not going to complete the task in time, then let them know. There is nothing worst than waiting until the night before to tell your manager or team that you weren’t be able to complete a project. Talking to them can be more helpful than you think. You might be able to find someone to help take some of the workload off of your plate. Or they may even extend the deadline for you. You will never know if you don’t communicate.
The more organized that you are, the more professional you’ll appear. It’s always good to remember that people want to work with someone who is known for their good work ethics. Some things will take some time to get use to, but once you get the hang of it you will never regret that you made the change. Being organized shows people that you pay close attention to details. Keeping your work organized, remaining practical about how much you take on, and being in constant communication with your team is the best way to improve your way in manage projects in a timely and sufficient manner.