Timemaxxing tips

Do you have a to-do list a mile long, feel the deadlines looming, or struggle to make time for your social life? Well, you’re not alone. This is the reality for many university students.

As a fifth-year student, I’m here to share my tried-and-true time management methods that I wish I had known in my first year.

Between triple majoring, holding a part-time job, dancing twice a week, volunteering, maintaining a social life, doing homework, making time for TV, and somehow avoiding burnout, I have learned a thing or two about managing my time over the last few years. In first year, my only tool was a physical daytimer, which led to way more stress than necessary.

So, here are a few things that have made a huge difference in how I manage my time!

A note for my neurodivergent friends: I do not have ADHD, so take from this list what you will! Not everything works for everyone, and that is completely okay.

Have a physical daytimer

I still use a physical daytimer that sits on my dresser. Once a week, typically on Sunday, I update it for the coming week with all my classes, appointments, gym times, and social activities. I also block off time to focus on specific assignments, such as “midterm review” or “draft COMS paper.” Don't just leave a general section that says “homework”; be specific! 

Having a physical copy of my weekly schedule is a great way to visually remind myself of my commitments. The key is to put it somewhere visible! I love having mine on my dresser because I see it before getting ready every morning.

Maximize your digital calendars

Don’t just have one calendar! I share a digital calendar with my family, which is especially important when you share cars like we do. On our calendar, some events are visible to everyone, while others are just for me as reminders. This is also a great idea for roommates, especially when coordinating shared responsibilities or plans.

When adding your classes to a digital calendar, don’t forget to include the room numbers. This is super helpful during the first few weeks of a new semester when you are still figuring out where everything is.

School-specific scheduling

The Notion app has been a lifesaver! It can take a minute to figure out, but I set up a page to keep track of my readings and assignments in second year and have been copying and pasting the template ever since. 

Pro tip: If you sign up with your university email, you can get the education plan for free.

At the top of my page, I have a general weekly schedule that blocks out time for mandatory commitments, like classes, the gym, and work. Below that, I have clickable sections for each course I am taking that semester. These include my professor's name, email, and office hours, so I don’t have to keep digging through the course syllabus to find that information.

My Notion page also contains a to-do list that I build directly from my course outlines. It includes assignments, due dates, and grade weightings, so I can keep track of what is coming up and how much each assignment is worth. Notion lets you view your to-dos by course or in a calendar format, and you can label them as Not Started, In Progress, or Done. Lifesaver!

New this year, I have also added a separate calendar for readings. Because why on earth are there eight readings a week??

This two-calendar system has been amazing for balancing my busy schedule. I like to keep my digital phone calendar more general, with the activities and commitments I need to attend, while my Notion page is more specific and school-focused. Having different tools for different purposes helps me stay organized without cramming absolutely everything into one place.

Commit financially to fitness

This suggestion is totally dependent on your financial situation, but I have found that committing money to fitness by booking classes has drastically increased my attendance. If I put $25 towards a dance class, you best believe I am going to that dance class! At that point, it is not just about working out; it is also about not wasting money.

Luckily, the University of Calgary offers lots of great adult fitness classes! If you don’t have the time or ability to travel to other parts of the city, you can fit a workout in between or after classes. There are gym-focused classes, and the university also offers everything from gymnastics to skating.

Of course, you don’t need to spend money to stay active. But if you know that having a class booked will motivate you to show up, it can be a great way to build movement into an already busy schedule.

Save time during the week with meal prep

For me, eating out on campus is not something I do very often. Since I am on campus three to four days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., packing lunches and having easy breakfasts ready to go are a must. This tip is also great for saving money!

Every Sunday or Monday night, I make a big batch of lunch and prepare breakfast options to eat throughout the week. This semester, crispy pasta salads have been my go-to lunch, and I often make chai pudding, overnight oats, or carrot pancakes for quick breakfasts.

Final thoughts

At the end of the day, time management is about finding a system that works for you, not trying to squeeze every possible minute out of your day. University is busy, and it can feel like there is always another assignment to finish, another commitment to attend, or another deadline around the corner. But being organized can help make everything feel a little more manageable and leave you with more time to enjoy the things you love outside of school.

You also don’t need to implement all these tips at once. Start with one or two, see what works, and adjust as you go. My biggest piece of advice is to remember that being productive does not mean being busy every second of the day. Rest, socializing, and watching a few episodes of your favourite show are important, too. You are at university to learn and grow, but you are also allowed to enjoy your life while you are here. If there is one thing I wish I had known in first year, it is that you don’t have to do everything perfectly to make it all work.