5 Tricks for Better Time Management During College Application Season

One Of The Toughest Tasks For High School Seniors Is Time Management…

...especially when they're trying to find time to fill out college applications. If your student has a busy school year ahead of them, along with the added stress of college applications, now is the perfect time for them to start practicing some effective time management techniques.

From identifying their main distractions and eliminating them to using tools like calendars and checklists, students have a multitude of resources to sail through their last year of high school stress-free and productive!

Why It’s So Hard To Focus During College Application Season

A high school student’s senior year is probably the most difficult time to begin focusing on college applications. They have so many things to juggle already like social events, extracurricular activities, and maintaining their GPA.

These commitments are good enough reasons for students to start the college application process as early as they can. Not only will they complete the most difficult tasks before the busyness of senior year kicks in, but they’ll also have the option to submit their applications under earlier deadlines. Of course, even if your child begins their applications early, eventually, the work must get done. Ultimately, the only way for them to be consistently productive during such a busy season of their lives is through effective time management skills.

5 Tips For Improving Your Student’s Time Management

Building time management skills is all in the details. If your student can begin making these adjustments to their daily schedule, they’ll be managing their college application productivity like a pro.

IDENTIFY DISTRACTIONS

A great way for your student to begin managing their time is for them to identify the things in their life that distract them from being productive on their college applications.

Some common distractions among high school seniors include movie streaming sites and social media. You can help them put away these distractions by using password protected access during certain hours of the day or by setting reminders on their phone to log out of any social media sites and get to work. Once their near future is clear from any possible distractions, they will be free to move forward with their college applications!

USE CHECKLISTS AS A ROADMAP

Checklists are extremely effective because they outline tasks in detail, and students often use checklists as a cheat sheet to stay on track with their college application tasks. Students should go through their college application requirements and make a checklist of everything they need to write, research, or obtain from their school and compile it all in one, easy-to-read place.

If they want to go a step further, your student can arrange their checklist by priority. If a certain task is time-sensitive, they should place it at the top of the checklist so they know to get it done first. They should also keep tasks in mind that will take a longer period of time to complete like letters of recommendation or requesting transcripts. Oftentimes, these documents depend on other people completing them, so students should account for that extra time when drafting their checklist.

USE DEADLINES AS MILESTONES

When your child does research on all the tasks they need to complete for their college applications, they should also write down important dates and deadlines and use those as milestones.

For example, if your child wants to apply for a certain college under an early deadline, which is usually around November, they can use this date as their first milestone in their college application process. They can gauge the tasks on their checklists by this specific date. Then, once November 1st passes, they’re free to focus on the tasks that aren’t as time sensitive.

CREATE A ROUTINE

Productivity is only effective if consistency is also involved in the process. When it comes to bringing consistency into the college application process, students need to implement their tasks into their daily routine. This is a relatively simple concept; for example, students can dedicate the same time every night to work on their college application tasks.

When they designate the same window of time every day specifically for college applications, their chances of being consistent with their work are much higher.

SCHEDULE BREAKS

Lastly, the only time management technique that will help students bring together productivity and consistency is taking regularly scheduled breaks.

Nobody can work all the time without allowing their brain to take a rest. Students should schedule time for themselves where they can do whatever they want, whether it be watching movies, practicing self-care, and hanging out with friends. Eating healthy and exercising is also a huge boost to being productive, and your child would benefit greatly from implementing that into their routine if possible.

Managing Time Like A Pro

Time management during college application season only takes a little bit of adjusting. Your high school senior should begin by identifying their distractions and getting rid of them. Next, they can focus on outlining all their tasks, paying close attention to deadlines, and adhering to a routine that works well for them.

Of course, if your student finds that they could use some assistance with their time management skills or have questions about anything involving the college application process, WeAdmit’s professional counselors are available around the clock to answer their questions!

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