"Where your attention goes, your time goes!" -Idowu Koyenikan

There is never enough time! One of the most critical aspects of success, whether in a job, family, or degree program, is the ability to manage and plan one's time. Time management is more than just looking at a formatted calendar or schedule; it is a mindset and a deliberate engagement of a framework for one's life.

Military Time Management

Whether you are working with a veteran of a 30-year career or a brand-new recruit, the use of time management techniques, schedules, and task prioritization that accompany higher education can be an adjustment. Some transition into managing their time in higher ed with ease, and others struggle to balance the time commitments. A vital component of managing one's time effectively is identifying the "must-haves" versus the "wants." Like everyday life, military leaders and trainers are guided by subsistence-type requirements that focus on training, leading, and caring for their soldiers. They understand that they "must" care for their troops, their troops "must" eat, "must" sleep, "must" complete a series of tasks within the framework of training or working to be ready for the mission of defending the country. When it comes to "wants," the soldiers, in this case, let us say those undergoing basic army training, "want" phone privileges, "want" a break from army food, and be able to buy snacks. Based on these "must-haves" and "wants," the Army, in this case, develops the concept of priorities for its trainees and focuses on integrating these priorities within its 24-hour training day. In simple terms, the important things are placed at the front of the priority list.

College, Work, and Family

Time management becomes a matter of understanding what must be done to accomplish a goal or task and allocating the time required to ensure that not only is it completed, but it is also completed properly. For college students/adult learners, their tasks and goals require a higher level of thought and preparation when managing time and schedules. Sitting with an academic advisor and selecting courses for the upcoming term is a common practice. A weekly schedule template is created for them, and students must navigate and fill in the time slots by the hour with courses, as dictated by their program path. The planning and analysis of their schedule have just begun at this point. Students must fill in the "implied" tasks and the "must-have" items essential to making such a schedule work. For example, if they are employed, time for work must be allocated and integrated into the schedule. Having a family adds the requirements of caring, providing, and maintaining all that it entails. Implied actions, such as driving 30 minutes to get to class or spending 60 minutes reading or studying, must be accounted for within a period that does not interfere with work, sleep, eating, and numerous other essential activities.

Focused Time

With low college retention and graduation rate across the United States, it can be said that a slow but steady pace (part-time: 1 to 11 credits) of academic rigor may be more conducive to success than an aggressive approach of 15 to 18 credits per semester (12 credits and above is considered full-time). As Robin Sharma says, "Time management is life management." Whether your student veteran is new to college, returning after a break, or in the midst of their college career, one of the most important components of their college success plan is identifying and setting goals. Once they have identified their goals, or you have helped them do so, start developing the time management component of their life and college path:

1. Help students determine how much actual, college-actionable time they have each day. For instance, 6-8 hours of sleep, 2-3 hours for eating and hygiene, 1-2 hours for commuting, and 8 hours of work (total: approximately 18 hours), 3-4 hours of class each day (depending on part-time or full-time status).
2. Help students prioritize their tasks each day, ideally in advance. Priorities, up to a certain extent, can be a subjective topic depending on the individual. For example, there is nothing wrong with prioritizing entertainment, fitness, or simply taking time to relax, especially when it is understood that decompressing and allowing time for self-care are necessary. However, as previously alluded to, sustainability tasks, priorities, and requirements are essential and must continue, regardless of one's desires. The science is to develop a list of priorities aligning with their goals, understanding that "when everything is a priority, nothing is a priority!"

Time management, like life management, is not about inundating a schedule with tasks and seeing how many can be accomplished. It should be about the tasks your students need to accomplish to be successful in their daily, weekly, or even long-term goals and how much time they need to devote to them properly and successfully without compromising their health, family, or finances. For students struggling, start by having them shift their mindset back to the priorities of a 24-hour training day. If they could manage their time in the military, they can manage their time in higher education.

Article Topics

Serving Military in HigherEd Veterans Academic Success Working as a Veteran in HigherEd

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