News flash: Mom’s not around anymore to do your laundry. Or put you to bed when you have a cold. Or float you a loan when you’re broke. Manage your time, your money and your health in school—and studying will be a breeze.

Stay Healthy

Personal health and wellness are critical; so are mental and spiritual health. Take care of yourself.
  • Sleep more than you’re sleeping. Adults need about 8 hours of sleep (teenagers need more). Symptoms of too little sleep are depression and difficulty with memory.
  • Eat better than you’re eating. That means more fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, dairy, and protein, and fewer fat-laden fast foods. Stop relying on caffeine or sugar for energy. Learn to cook a few healthy things (Here’s a website created by and for students http://www.studentrecipes.com/)
  • Exercise harder than you’re exercising. Walk to classes. Take the stairs. Use the campus gym or health center. Join a team. Time outdoors will clear your head and improve your mood. Hanging around in an overheated dorm room will make you sluggish and fat.
  • Give yourself a bigger break (believe it not), than you’re getting. Don’t forget to play. Hang out with friends on Friday and Saturday and study on Sunday. You need to disconnect from studying occasionally to be an effective student.

Manage Your Time

  • Use a calendar or planner. Time management for students means recording all assignments and test dates, appointments, and rehearsals/practices. Keep your to-do lists in your planner. A week-at-a-glance or month-at-a-glance calendar is sufficient for a quick, visual overview of where you need to be.
  • Make a daily To Do list. What do you need to do today? “Laundry,” “ Study notes for chemistry exam,” “ Choose topic for history paper.” Only list brief, high-priority items that you cross off when you get them done. Don’t create long, impossible lists of broad or vague tasks.
  • Know your circadian rhythms. If you’re a morning person, take early classes and exercise in the afternoon. If you’re not really awake until noon, don’t sign up for an 8 A.M. class. Study in the morning and take afternoon and evening classes.
  • Don’t procrastinate—agonizing over undone tasks wastes time and energy. For more help read our ShortCuts on time management and avoiding procrastination.

Hold on to Your Money

Money management is a basic life skill that many people struggle with their entire lives. Now is the time to learn the basics of budgeting.
  • You will not “catch up” next month. Don’t spend more than you make! That’s the first (and last) rule of money management.
  • Create a budget. Budgets should be simple and easy to use. Read our ShortCut on creating a budget or use this simple form to get you started.
  • Quarantine your credit card until your balance is paid off. Then follow the basics of credit card hygiene: Don’t pay an annual fee (switch to a card that doesn’t charge one); Pay off the entire balance, every month, on time (late fees and interest charges on unpaid balances will kill you); and Don’t take a cash advance unless it’s for a true emergency (they carry punishing interest rates).
  • Beware the money-suckers. Cell-phone minutes, downloadable music, and random dollars spent on fast food and vanilla lattes can end up costing as much as a semester’s textbook before you even notice the money is gone.