Time Management: Prioritization

While it’s true that we take less classes in college, those classes always find ways to take over our lives. We aren’t full-time students for nothing, and professors seem to think that their class is the only class students have to take (or the most important) and we can’t blame them - although we will. It’s our job to prioritize and find a way to fit in our clubs, sports, recitals, outings, relaxation, and work into this array of never-ending work. To help you get started I’ve created a simple assignment. All right, grab your favorite pen and a sheet of paper (and make sure to take your time).

Part I

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1. List out all of your classes – skip a line and do not number them.
2. Write all the clubs and/or sports you’re involved with (as well as your position(s) or office(s).
3. Write down any jobs, internships, and/or work-study positions.
4. Add any volunteering that you do on a consistent basis.
5. Finish up with any hobbies you keep up with on a consistent basis.

Hopefully, you now have all of your usual activities on that sheet of paper. Is your page mostly empty, or packed with stressors? Either way, I want you to look over every word and reflect on whether it’s important to you, or not, and why.

Bonus Activity: in the blank lines (the lines that you skipped) explain why each class, club, or hobby, etc… is important to you.

Part II
On another sheet of paper (you can flip your current page over) title the page in big, bold lettering “My Priorities”. Gently breathe in, and out. Now, decide the 10 activities that are most important. Out of all that you wrote, only 10 are allowed on this page. You are not ranking them (do not number them). There’s nothing wrong if you have less than 10 consistent responsibilities; it just means you already have a solid set of priorities. When you’re finished writing, look over your sheet. If you would trade one commitment for another, replace it.

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Part III
Once your list is complete, follow these steps:
1. Either on that same sheet of paper or another, number your page from 1 to 10 (you can skip lines if you want to).
2. Rank those 10 activities with 1 being the most important and 10 the least.
(There's no judgement here, this is how you truly feel. Be honest.)


Congrats! You have finally prioritized your responsibilities. The first step to time management is being aware of not only your responsibilities, but also which activities give you the motivation to push through any obstacles that come your way. You can only focus 100% of your energy on one thing at a time, even though it’s our habit to juggle. Naturally, your list will change as you take different courses, as your interests and skills develop, as you take on more responsibilities, and as you learn to let things go.

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