Time Management Tips for Future York U Students

Three York U tools and tips that can help you organize your life and achieve academic success.

As you decide where you’ll go to university or college next year, you’ll need to start honing in some key skills that will help you succeed as a post-secondary student. To prepare for university life, you might promise yourself that you’ll develop better study habits or improve your class attendance. No matter what goals you set for the academic year, there’s one secret to achieving them: time management.

Remember, time management is a learned skill. It’s not something you’re born with. Give yourself time to discover what works for you, how much time you need to complete tasks, and how much time you need to give your mind and body a break! So, if you want to brush up on your time management skills so that you’re more prepared for the fall, check out these tips:

1. Use a planning tool

Whether you use an agenda or your cellphone, writing down your commitments and due dates will help you stay on track. Keep short- and long-term goals in mind by combining tools like:

• Daily to-do lists
• Weekly agendas
• Year-long calendars

A big part of time management is setting goals for yourself. Make sure you divide them into time frames (short-term and long-term) and check in with yourself to see if you’re on track for reaching these goals and if your priorities are still the same. For more advice on how to have effective time management, check out our Building Time Management Skills piece.

2. Set priorities

To use your time effectively, you should prioritize assignments depending on their urgency and how much time you need to complete each project.

The earlier you start reviewing for exams and working on assignments, the shorter your daily study sessions will be. Check out York U’s SPARK program, used by many of our students, for some useful tips and advice on how to plan ahead and avoid procrastination.

3. Visit the Future Students website

If you’ve applied to university this year or are planning on applying in the fall, make sure you visit the York University Future Students website. You’ll find info about programs, course requirements, application deadlines, admission requirements, scholarships, and much more!

We hope that the tips and tools provided help you achieve your goals for this academic year. There is no doubt that if you commit to your timelines and get into focus mode you can achieve great things!