We can make time, waste time, spend time, take time and kill time. We can put time in and take time out. We can do the hokey pokey and shake it all about. We have time-honored traditions, start times and end times. There’s free time, paid time, overtime and double time. We can have the time of our lives through both good times and bad times. We can have too much time on our hands and never enough time in the day. We can have time on our side or we can take time off.

Time is even used to define other things, like velocity, and scientists tell us that at the speed of light, time stops completely. I can’t even wrap my head around that. Time has been a major subject of religion, philosophy and science for…a really long time, and yet it eludes a consensual, definitive definition. And yet we are somehow expected to manage it.

So it’s no surprise that many college students discover rather quickly that managing their time can be one of the most difficult and challenging aspects of being in school. In college, you have less in-class time and more outside of class work. You have more freedom and flexibility than ever before and probably more than you will ever have again. Depending on your class load and hours spent working at a job, you may be as busy as you will ever be, but more than any other time in your life, you are the one who sets the schedule.

The good news is you don’t have to be a theoretical physicist to figure out how to get everything done. The bad news is nothing motivates like the last minute.

So how do you keep from letting everything pile up until the eleventh hour, at which point you binge on caffeine and sleep deprivation until you slide your projects under the professor’s door mere seconds before the appointed deadline?

At this point, you’re probably expecting a list of time-management strategies and techniques that you should follow during your college experience. A quick Google search will show that there are plenty of these types of lists out there if that is what works for you. It’s probably a good idea for everyone to look into a few of these lists for some good ideas. But people are different, and what works for one may not work for all. And the longer the list, the less likely you will follow it.

Some people work better scheduling things down to the minute. Others excel with just a skeleton of structure and fit in everything else on the fly.

So let’s keep the list short and simple.

1. Take responsibility — You can go to the lake and sunbathe instead of going to class if you want. Nobody is going to stop you. It’s your life. It’s your call.
2. Keep track of important deadlines — A calendar is good for this, either electronic or paper, but you can use the back of a pizza box if you want as long as you record everything in one place and don’t throw it out.
3. Find your rhythm — Every semester is a little different, but you know how your body and mind work better than anyone. Maybe you study better first thing in the morning, or maybe you are a bit of a night owl. Play to your strengths and try to schedule things to work with your natural patterns.

With a little effort you can successfully manage your time in college, but there is no one-size-fits-all strategy. Find what works for you and run with it. If you are having difficulty making it work on your own, talk with a school counselor and attack the problem together. Start developing good habits now. There is no time like the present.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aidanmorgan/ / CC BY 2.0

“How is this going to help me in my career?” Nearly every student has asked this question at some point during his or her academic journey. We’ve all been there, usually when tasked with some seemingly ridiculous assignment, or possibly even when thinking about an entire course of study.

It’s a valid question, and one that more and more students and parents are asking as they look at finding a return on investment for their college expenditures in the form of gainful employment. As the cost of that investment continues to rise and as money gets tighter in a slow economy, people are demanding more accountability from majors and institutions, and they are asking questions about internship programs and job placement rates. As a result, many universities are responding with changes in curriculum by adding new programs and discontinuing some majors that have seen little interest in recent years.

A December 2009 New York Times article notes a shift in attitudes among students that may partially reflect the shifting curriculum. “Consider the change captured in the annual survey by the University of California, Los Angeles, of more than 400,000 incoming freshmen. In 1971, 37 percent responded that it was essential or very important to be ‘very well-off financially,’ while 73 percent said the same about ‘developing a meaningful philosophy of life.’ In 2009, the values were nearly reversed: 78 percent identified wealth as a goal, while 48 percent were after a meaningful philosophy.”

While colleges have always adjusted curriculum to meet the needs of a changing society, many faculty and administrators caution students against becoming too narrowly focused, and there is evidence that employers agree.

The New York Times article states that “The Association of American Colleges and Universities recently asked employers who hire at least 25 percent of their workforce from two- or four-year colleges what they want institutions to teach. The answers did not suggest a narrow focus. Instead, 89 percent said they wanted more emphasis on ‘the ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing,’ 81 percent asked for better ‘critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills’ and 70 percent were looking for ‘the ability to innovate and be creative.’”

The reality is that while some majors may translate more directly than others, your major doesn’t necessarily train you for one specific career. And that is probably a good thing, as many people switch careers at some point in life.

Employers are asking more of employees and students can benefit from a greater understanding of core knowledge. So talk with your advisors, ask questions about job placement and internships, just remember that your major is not your job.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bofh/ / CC BY 2.0

Okay, dorm life isn’t as bad as all that. In fact, it can be one of the most fun and rewarding experiences of your life. Just keep in mind that your primary purpose for being there is to get a good education, and keep the duct taping to a minimum.

Here’s a quick list of things to keep around or keep in mind to help keep things sane and make dorm life a little more comfortable.

1. Pack light — You have a lot of stuff. Your roommate has a lot of junk. You don’t want anyone to confuse your stuff with your roommate’s junk do you? Bring it later if you end up really needing it. You need the space more.
2. Storage items — Door hangars, closet organizers, plastic milk crates…pick what works for you and get stuff out of the floor and off your bed. That stuff I told you not to bring — put it here.
3. Desk Lamp — Dorm lighting is notoriously poor, and sometimes your roommate needs to sleep when you need to study. Alternate use — shadow puppets.
4. Power strips — Your desk lamp won’t run on energy drinks, and chances are you have a few other things to plug in — and so does your roommate. Don’t go crazy and create a fire hazard.
5. Flip flops — Shower with them on. In spite of the name, athlete’s foot outbreaks show no correlation to level of fitness.
6. Vitamins — Ramen noodles and Taco Bell do not a healthy diet make. (Yoda-like, that sentence was.) Cafeteria food isn’t a whole lot better. Take a vitamin here and there to keep from looking like aforementioned Jedi Master.
7. Cleaning products — Give a man a fish, and he’ll stink up the whole dorm. Teach a man to clean up after himself…you see where I’m going with this? There is no maid. There is no cleaning crew that comes through while you are out. You don’t want to be known as the stinky room. It is not a badge of honor. Seriously.
8. Spare sheets — The laundry mat is no place to sleep. An extra set of sheets increases the chance of actually washing the first set exponentially. Alternatively, just sleep on one set until you have to throw them out.

In a recent letter published in the Wichita Eagle, “Private Colleges Can Be Affordable“, Newman University President Noreen M. Corrocci states, “The national average for tuition and fees at private universities is $26,273. The average for the Midwest region is $24,467, and the average for the Kansas independent colleges is $17,207. Nationally, room and board stands at an average $9,363, while the Midwest average is $8,026 and Kansas private colleges average $5,631.”

That gets us back to the published tuition, fees and ancillary costs. But the actual cost can only be calculated after figuring in the various forms of financial aid a student may receive.

According to Robert Head, “There is ample evidence to suggest that private colleges are more affordable in the long term because they disburse more institutional aid ($9,300 compared with $3,600 for public four-year schools) and because private college students tend to graduate in four years, eliminating the need for tuition for an extra semester or year.”

Additionally, private colleges offer many other intangibles that are difficult to put a sticker price on, but add value nonetheless, such as smaller class sizes and more personalized attention.

Investigate further. Talk to the right people and ask a lot of questions. Apply to the schools you are interested in attending so that they can determine any financial aid for which you may qualify. Ask about scholarships. The admissions teams at Kansas’ private colleges are more than happy to help.

For the humans among us, gaining the freshman fifteen (or forty, depending on your level of enthusiasm) is the stereotypical foregone conclusion. Chances are pretty good that you will put on a few pounds your first year at college. But you don’t have to keep them. Here are a few easy-to-follow tips to drop a few pounds and begin a lifestyle that will help you stay fit.

1. Ditch the drive-thru — You don’t have to eat like a rabbit, and you don’t have to go hungry. Just try not to eat so much junk. Take the pizza guy off of speed dial. It takes a lot of turkey sandwiches to equal the calories of a greasy cheeseburger. Go to the grocery store and buy sensible food. Depending on your school’s cafeteria selections, eating there may be a good idea as well. Your wallet will thank you, too.

2. Walk > Ride > Drive — Most college campuses are within walking distance of the majority of your needs. Walk everywhere you can. If it’s too far or you’re short on time, ride a bicycle. Drive only when absolutely necessary.

3. Hit the gym — A lot of colleges offer free or cheap use of a gymnasium to all students. Play a game of basketball, lift a weight, kick a hackeysack. Stay active on a regular basis, and make it a habit.

4. Get some sleep — Your body needs rest to operate at its potential. A late night here and there is inevitable, but a good night’s sleep means more energy and a clear mind.