The high school years offer a great opportunity for students to grow in independence and learn time management skills. As the college years begin, though, students realize just how much more rests on their shoulders! With a greater variety of responsibilities and obligations to keep track of, a planner is a necessity during the college years.
5 Reasons to Use a High School Planner
Here are some reasons why a planner is vital during the college years.
Class Management
The first, and most obvious, need for a college student is a solid grasp of due dates and workload. It can be hard to keep track of all of the due date details packed into even one syllabus, much less five or six. By using a planner, due dates can be kept in one place, allowing students to spread out assignments as much as possible and stay on top of the needs for each class.
Balancing Well
The college experience may be centered on academics, but it includes so much more. Campus life provides a wide variety of activities, and church involvement is important for many students. Work hours may also be relevant, whether through work study opportunities or outside employment. Most college students actually have more time than they think they do to fit it all in, but they just do not balance their time well. With the aid of a planner, students can easily see where their time is going and where every aspect of life needs to fit in.
Long-Term Goals
College is a multi-year commitment. As such, long-term goals are critical to solid progress. When do applications need to be completed for summer internships? Is there a study abroad program available that should be taken advantage of? Is an honors thesis in the picture? Do scholarships need to be renewed? If so, what are the due dates? These and other long-term considerations are much easier to keep track of when they are recorded in a planner and worked into the flow of the semester or year.
Staying Healthy
As has already been mentioned, most college students have more time than they think they do. But, without a solid time management system, they end up running themselves ragged, burning the candle at both ends. Lack of sleep, poor eating habits, lack of exercise, and lack of good down time and intentional social interaction all leave a student easily worn down. This leads to illness, which in turn can lead to poor grades or lost progress in school. The simple act of organizing time well can make all the difference when it comes to staying healthy physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally during the college years.
Financial Management
Many students have no idea how to manage their finances well. Whether they have a job and income or are living off of scholarships and student loans, college is a critical time for solidifying financial management skills. How does a planner help with that? Well, some planners actually include a budget page each month. Even if the chosen planner does not have this feature, the calendar feature can be easily used to keep track of due dates and provide reminders for checkbook balancing.
