57 Time Management Tips @ College@Home Blog

I was looking through a Google search, and I found a gem:

57 Time Management Tips for College Students

Here is my five favorites and what I think of them (thanks Christian Laun!):

1. Get the Most Out of Class. I really liked this one.  The idea is that you should be prepared for you class, ready to take notes, as well as understand how to get what you need from class in order to benefit your grade the most.  So, let me restate: Do not sleep, instead grab some caffeine before and find a way to actively participate and take good solid notes.  In this way, you are far ready for the test and in turn get a better grade, but you will be satisfied that you won't have to go into a complete scramble before the midterm.
2. Take Advantage of Downtime. I realized that if you are going to study heavy for a test the next day or study constantly over the course of four or five hours, you will realize that your brain will probably hit a wall, or you will become unproductive in that you lose your study "edge".  Make sure to take a break such as a long walk, or as Christian said a bus ride.  This allows you to feel a little more at ease and for your brain to bring it all back together.
3. Prioritize. In economics they teach you about the concepts of trade-offs.  Understand that you will constantly as a student be struggling for time.  You will realize, or have already realized that time is the most precious thing on the universe.  Therefore you need to understand what your goals are, and what you need to do to end up on top.  My number one is always academia, and then activities, then personal goals (like fitness and good nutrition), then friends.  Realize that life is all about balancing these things, but balancing them to the right degree.  (Also realize that the masters of productivity have tapped into the ability to satisfy multiple items or "double-dip" into multiple priorities in order to maximize productivity.  Examples include working out with a friend, organizing a school event that constitutes your homework with friends while planning to have a social outting at the same time.)
4. Avoid Over-Commitment. I learned this late my senior year in high school. Realize that you must say no in order to succeed and be committed to the more important things.  "Over Achieving" is real folks, and it can very much hurt a student beyond their own recognition.
5. Set Goals. This one has been around for millions of years yet I still see people not doing it.  Kinda sad.  Whether it be using Toodledo.com, RemembertheMilk.com, Google Calendar, Outlook, or simply pen and paper: you must keep track of your short term goals (homework, papers, or success in an activity coming up), you near future (test to study for, activities or positions you want to hold, promotions, books to be read, movies to be seen), or your long term goals (life goals, graduation, GPA, nutrition, exercise/weight).  Better yet, make sure that they are located somewhere where you can see them.  From goals you will know where to go and what to do.

Thanks Christian Laun for giving me some prose today!  Remember to check out the full post here.

Good luck, have fun!

Dustin

5 Reasons for looking at The Student Organization Business Model

I had a single question a few months ago that allowed me to see the student organizations I was and am in in a very different way.  "How can I apply business ideas and models to student organizations?"

After exploring this question, I have come up with a few interesting points to how this model will and can allow a student organization to succeed beyond its current state:

1. The Idea of a Student Organization Being a Business Brings About Professionalism.  Calling a student government a "Student Corporation" may change the way that we apply ourselves to working and representing the success and failures of the organization.  
2. Allows for the Application of Business Ideas.  By reading business novels, guerilla marketing tactics (I would suggest Guerilla Marketing in 30 days), finance and accounting methods, and leadership and management tactics, you can better your student organization beyond its current state.
3. Increased Accountability and Commitment. May this quick article be very theoretical, and very researchable, building a student organization on business principles may increase accountability and commitment among members.  While splitting you organization into committees, or in business terms "companies" or even "subsidiaries", you are aligning task oriented and team structures often found in management teachings.  With this understanding, you can focus your mission and strategy on how to make sure each company is measured and given goals for what they should accomplish.  A quantitative outlook for tasks and measurements allow for the group to track progress and be more accountable. 
4. We Become Employees.  CEOs, General Managers, Functional Managers, all the way down to specialized and skilled based employees.  By giving everyone a "role" in the company, they feel like they all have a specific task and duty in the organization.  They must be appreciated for their specific skills and duties.  Even if you call the members of a committee "Homecoming Parade Associates", it is far better then "Grunt".
5. Be Serious When You Need to Be, but Have Fun. Employees in companies need to feel included, must enjoy their work, and be committed to the goals of the corporation.  Remember, a company that does not treat their employees well have a high turn over rate.  Well a student organization doesn't have  a super strong connection like a real company because people aren't paid, but yet you can offer many other items in student organizations that would make the time worth while.  But in reality, someone will leave the organization if they are not valued, not treated well, and are not having fun most of the time. From this understanding, an organization will have to get down to business sooner or later, and therefore must have the structure in place to make it as smooth, training oriented, yet enjoyable as possible.
6. Discuss Innovative and Creative Solutions. In order for a company in the real world to exist and compete, it must be able to innovate and be creative.  In a student organization or a "student corporation", must be able to observe what other corporation/orgs are doing, observe the market, and observe the needs of who they represent in order to come up with extremely creative and innovative solutions and products.  Sometimes when thinking at a business point of view, you can come up with fund raisers and events that are far beyond the thinking of any high school student organization.
7. Think About Revenues, Expenses, and Profits. Why not?  Utilize some of these words and the very basics of sales in order to streamline your fund raisers and increase "the bottom line" of your student corporation.

Good luck guys!

Dustin

Finding the Best Time and Place to Study

Being a student with the University ot Minnesota, I have noticed a few things:

• You will most likely always be a day behind, get used to it.
• You will most likely always be be a tad stressed out, use it to your advantage.
• You will most likely always face productivity issues.

Let me deal with the last one, which you can of course completely change around and become completely productive in your own work.

1. Look at the Distraction Scale: find out which areas and study areas have lower or higher distractions.  Some people say that they don't mind distractions, the truth is everyone should.  A distraction is a distraction, and unless you are able to turn off everything around you will forever be benefited from an area of less distraction.  Judge it on a ten point scale (this is a subjective way of doing it, but it only matters to you), and find out which area or study place has the least distractions.  Keep in mind that sometimes a coffee shop that has none of your friends wanting to talk to you is a great study place, but every time somebody pulls you from your book or your reading, it is a distraction.  From this, find the best place to study that is closest your areas of study (sometimes it is less of a waste of time to go somewhere nearby your lecture or discussion before and after class versus going across campus to your favorite place).
2. Seek Out the Study Areas: College campuses are completely flooded with study areas and lounges.  Keep your eye open for the quiet areas with a spot for your computer and one that allows you to sit up and be comfortable. 
3. Bring With You ONLY What You Know You Can Complete: by doing this, you will allow yourself to focus on only a few tasks at hand and not gain anxiety by seeing the pile of books and notes inf front of you. 
4. Before you move through your day, plan and know the time that you will be studying.  Finding out at which time your brain is the most focused and willing to do homework, utilize it.  Some study better and FASTER when they are well nourished, after an exercise, before dinner, or an hour before bed.  Recognize the amount of time the homework will take, and try to block out time for it.

So, block out time for your homework, do it in an area of low distractions, and do it at a time when your brain is at its peak and homework is "easy" to do.  Make sure to give yourself enough time, but make sure to understand how to cut corners and achieve the same result (aka, change up your reading, your study methods, and the way that you handle note taking in order to do everything in less time)

FInd ways to become more productive, and remember don't do your homework while watching a movie with your friends (you are just kidding yourself). 

Good luck!
Dustin

U of M Entrepreneurship Club: Quick Network Tactic

Ann Ulrich came to speak with the University of Minnesota's Entrepreneurship Club (www.ceomakers.com).  She briefly hit on a lot of great points, but the one that I took away was a fantastic tip to effective networking.

Here are a few things that she said:

1. Be approachable and dress for the occasion. Whether it is a networking event, an association meeting, or an event that brings together people from all over, your goal is to be presentable and not to give the wrong impression.
   
2. Get past the small talk! Forget the dumb questions and go straight for the important stuff: what is your business? Who do you market to?  If I met your perfect customer tomorrow, what would he or she look like, be like, and do?  How did you get to where you are now?
   
3. The Trade. In order to create a strong relationship, you must expect to make "the trade".  Ask about them, their business, their role, who THEY are.  Then, ask questions about how you can benefit their business, where they may need help for growing their business.  Find a way to make a good relationship.  Then make action: give them referrals, leads, and pass along some great information that is pertinent to his or her industry.  After you do this, you will help build your relationship, which will of course benefit you and your business, or even just yourself.
   

She also discussed to focus on one good networking relationship, and work from there.  Try to develop and work at one good relationship through leads, referrals, advice, and great information that may have come your way.

Be More Productive By Gaining Back Time from Travel

So, college is awesome.

I will be discussing more about college, my experiences, and things I have done to make it a far more productive and efficient experience.  The most immediate myth I would like to discuss would be the thoughts of time.

Time in college is, well, very limited.  When you learn about priorities in high shool, about time management, and about trading off your time, pay attention.  I don't think I would have succeeded as quickly or as well if I didn't have half the knowledge nor the capacity of technology I have now.  This includes the learning from a large amount of life experiences in school, work and home, but also the use and knowledge of online applications.  I will be discussing some of these online applications in depth and how I use them later (including www.toodledo.com, Google Calendar, www.moneytrackin.com, www.wiggio.com, and more).

For now, I just wanted to quickly hit on the time lost in movement, or transit.  I have noticed that if I am able to optimize distance traveled, study places in between classes, and usage of certain transit, I can cut my time at least by half and gain that back. 

The Transit "Trade-Off" (Public Transportation)

I would suggest that use public transit if you should have to travel a distance.  Walking is great, especially phsyically, but that is what I have an intense hour to two hours of excercise for.  Gain back time by finding quick public transit routes and using your Campus Shuttle.

Stay In the General Area
If you have a half hour or an hour between classes, don't waste time going back to your dorm.  Grab what you need for the day, including what you plan to study for, and simply stay in the general area that your classes are located.  Study there, stay there, and be there until you need to truly go back home.  Trust me, you'll save possibly an hour a day doing this.

Have fun guys! Talk to you soon.