The Cosumnes River College Outreach Program held a Zoom workshop on time management on Aug. 23.
The host was Student Personnel Assistant Carrie Reyes Cruz.
“We love arranging workshops like this to help students get connected with other resources on campus,” Reyes Cruz said.
The five tips Reyes Cruz shared were to prioritize the items on your syllabus, understand your schedule, stay organized, practice self-care and have an action plan.
Reyes Cruz said the items on your syllabus to focus on are homework, readings and assignment deadlines.
“Respecting those deadlines and due dates is a huge, important part of online and in-person school success,” Reyes Cruz said. Students can also set their own “milestone deadlines” and break the assignment into more manageable chunks, she said.
To better understand your schedule, Reyes Cruz said students should check their eService’s schedule and the course Canvas.
In addition, she said it’s important for students to prioritize their class and study time.
For asynchronous classes, she recommended students schedule a chunk of time per week for the class.
She also encouraged students to find an organization technique that suits them best. Since planners don’t work for everyone, Reyes Cruz suggested trying things like apps, calendars or the Pomodoro Technique.
The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method that breaks work into timed intervals with short breaks in between.
“It really makes tasks seem a lot more manageable than they actually come out to be,” said Emilee Chu, a 19-year-old computer information major.
Another thing Reyes Cruz recommended is practicing self-care.
“You can’t pour from an empty cup. You have to take care of yourself first,” Reyes Cruz said. She suggested doing things like reading, going outside and reaching out if you need help.
Students have access to both free counseling and crisis intervention for non-life-threatening emergencies. She also encouraged students to talk with their professors about problems they’re having with the class.
The last tip Reyes Cruz shared was to have an action plan. This entails making a plan by scheduling tasks, delegating and learning how to say no to things you don’t have time for.
Reyes Cruz knows that time management takes effort, but still encouraged students to start.
“Practice makes progress,” Reyes Cruz said. “Trying is the first step.”