Time management is extremely important Colleges not only excel in academics but also flourish in extracurricular activities.
In high school, many pre-med students took six to eight courses per semester, including undergraduate courses Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate classes. In contrast, college premeds can only take four hours per semester, which sounds like a breeze. However, while a high school student spends fewer hours physically attending classes, a college student takes much more time to study independently, complete assigned reading, and complete problem sets.
Here are some strategies I found useful for time management as a premed in college.
Map out your weekly calendar and daily schedule
In high school, there were assignments every day. College is different and deadlines are long. Many college assignments are due weekly, while classes may only have one or two papers or projects during the semester. It’s important to tackle these tough long-term tasks in small chunks rather than trying to complete them in the last few days before the deadline.
Each week in college I made a rough schedule of my classes, club meetings, meeting friends, internship interviews, and other commitments. Creating a weekly schedule gave me an idea of how much time I needed to study. It gave me a good idea of how much extra time I have for other events I want to attend.
In addition to building a weekly calendar, I also created a daily schedule to execute. At the beginning of each day, I wrote down all my classes and appointments for the day. And I set specific goals that I wanted to accomplish for each of my classes.
Making daily plans held me accountable for completing the necessary work each day.
Develop monthly, semester, and yearly goals
I’ve found it helpful to regularly take a step back from schoolwork and create longer-term goals. I created goals for various aspects of my life, including academic, social, intellectual, professional, and personal.
For example, during the spring semester of my freshman year, I wanted an internship at a healthcare consulting firm, so I made it a goal to attend at least two networking events a week. I also wanted to take advantage of Princeton University’s intellectual opportunities during the same semester, and I made it a goal to attend one lecture per week by a visiting professor or guest speaker.
Attending lectures allowed me to gain perspective and gather knowledge from world leaders across various fields. This semester I learned about local politics from Cory Booker and health policy from Anthony Fauci!
Creating longer-term goals complemented my daily and weekly calendar, allowing me to achieve Balance throughout college.
Optimize your class schedule
Throughout college, I found ways to optimize my class schedule so that I could study effectively.
First, I knew I was a night owl and avoided early morning classes whenever possible by scheduling classes, labs, and sections for late mornings, afternoons, and evenings. Additionally, I’ve been trying to limit my small breaks between lessons, as I’ve found that I’m less efficient using 30-60-minute breaks rather than longer blocks of time.
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These techniques may work for you, or you may be the opposite and love morning classes. Regardless, find out what works for your productivity and schedule your hours strategically.
In a similar vein, I’ve heard from premeds that they’ve optimized their volunteer time to save commuting time. One recommendation is to voluntarily shadow with a longer block of time rather than several smaller blocks. For example, instead of volunteering in separate two-hour blocks, you can volunteer in one four-hour block.
Maximize your winter break and holidays
After working hard all semester, it’s important to relax during school breaks. Fortunately, college breaks are long and provide plenty of time to rest, socialize, and progress in extracurricular activities.
I encourage premeds to make the most of their breaks as they have plenty of flexible time. During the summer holidays, most premeds attend or participate in courses and internships. Some colleges have long winter breaks where students can complete a month-long internship. During spring break, some schools offer global health trips.
In addition to formal school programs and internships, breaks are also a good time to volunteer, shadow doctors, and work at an organization like Crisis Text Line, a global nonprofit that provides confidential and free crisis intervention along with mental health support.
Some precocious students use winter break to get ahead of the upcoming semester’s academic courses. You can take care of small logistics such as buying your textbooks before the semester starts so you don’t have to spend time on it during the school year. You can also prepare for the next semester’s classes, especially the basic premed requirements. For example, there are tons of online videos that explain the basic principles of physics and organic chemistry.
Make the most of your commute time
Sometimes you have to walk across campus to reach your next class. Other times you may have long journeys, flights, and train rides. Use these commute times wisely. You can study, organize a calendar, or create goals.
Many students find this time useful in journaling reflections on recent clinical experience. Travel times are also a good opportunity to listen to podcasts or healthcare news.
There is no right way to manage your time in college. However, just like honing the study skills that work for you, it’s important to develop the time management skills that work best for you. It pays off in medical faculty and for.
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