Many students have more to learn about structuring their time and scheduling their work. Remember, you can’t have guilt-free play time unless you figure out how to get some scheduled work done. Here are some tips:
1) Make a weekly and daily schedule (actually keep a calendar) – write down the times you are in class, the times will be reading/writing, studying with a group of friends, etc. Consider the times of day you are at your best for the various tasks and write them down on your calendar!
2) Don’t be unrealistic about how long you can sit and read or write about your reading – make doable times. Add more shorter times if that works better than fewer longer times. Know yourself.
3) Hold these times sacred – turn off your phone, don’t surf the web, don’t answer friends who want to distract you. It is your time to do what you need to get done (you wouldn’t walk out on a boss, would you?). Let your friends know you are doing this so that they can be on your side instead of trying to undermine you. You might suggest they do the same thing.
4) Schedule some kind of treat for yourself if you finish your scheduled work – meet a friend for coffee or tea, go for a bike ride, take a hot shower, buy a new song. Wait until you meet your deadline to do it, though.
5) Make a to-do-list. There are some free tools for helping with this. Check out Trello. It is free and anyone can create an account. It helps you create lists and set priorities.
6) Invite friends for parallel play. Sometimes it works well to have someone else working nearby. Then you can congratulate each other when you are done!