September 30, 2025 by


Hey friends! I’ve taken some time to compile some helpful tips regarding time management as a college student. Whether you’re a current college student or finishing up high school, you’ll find something useful to you. Without further ado, let’s get right into it! 

Make Time With God a Priority 

Jesus regularly slipped away from His disciples to spend time with the Father (Mark 1:35). How much more should we prioritize our time with Him? 

The most frequent objection college students make to spending time with God might be time. Spending less time with God supposedly frees up more time for pressing schoolwork or social interactions. The beautiful thing about a life that prioritizes God, though, is that when we “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33), all the other things (i.e., schoolwork) fall into place. But we must continue to direct our gaze Godward. And if you have never spent personal time with God before, here is a quick plan for beginning to do just that. 

We don’t need to fear the list of assignments piled up in Canvas (although we should certainly work hard to stay on top of schoolwork). We serve a God who bears our burdens and anxieties (Psalm 55:22, 1 Peter 5:7), who wants us to serve Him freely without fear for the future (Matthew 6:34). Regular fellowship with the Lord keeps us afloat amidst the various worries and stresses of college.  


Keep a Planner 

Use Google Calendar or invest $10–$15 into a paper planner. Writing down plans frees up more mental space for other tasks. I almost certainly forget plans if I neglect to write them down. If you’re like me, I recommend a planner!  

I take roughly 10 minutes every morning to plan the day, respond to unanswered texts, and peruse my list of upcoming tasks and events planned for that day (e.g., meals with friends or extracurricular activities). 

My paper planner. I write tasks to complete on the left column and events on the right column for each day.


Know When To Say No 

At Cedarville, every opportunity sounds great (and they mostly all are)! As time goes on, though, we can better discern which opportunities deserve our time. I find it wise not to overcommit at the start of the semester when my schedule seems wide open. I have also learned to say “let me get back to you on that.”  


Studying: Distractions  

We’ve all done it — that unplanned 30-minute “study break” on YouTube. Distractions might be the number one culprit for eroding productivity. We study best when we single-mindedly focus on one task for a significant amount of time.  

Switching tasks (e.g., flipping back and forth between writing an essay and checking texts) drains our mental battery like nothing else. Consider carrying a legal pad for a place to jot down mental notes. This practice prevents multitasking. 

Eliminate all potential distractions by finding a quiet study spot, hiding the phone, or even declining the enticing group study session (if working in a group is not necessary for that particular assignment). Employing app time limits on our phones significantly benefits us.  

Studying: Compartmentalization 

I suggest compartmentalizing study time to maximize productivity. Spend the best brainpower on the work that requires the most focus. For example, my mind functions best in the morning. My degree requires significant amounts of reading and writing, which I consider “heavier” brain work. I do these tasks in the morning, when my mind has more energy. 

Consider completing tasks that require less mental energy, like answering emails, later in the day, when your mental battery is low. Starting the day with smaller tasks robs us of the mental energy that we need for more difficult tasks. Generally, people work best in the morning, with their minds refreshed by the previous night of sleep. 


Cultivate Healthy Habits 

  • Develop a sleep schedule compatible with your class schedule 
  • Commit to regular, modest exercise  
  • Take study breaks (go for a quick walk or simply let your mind wander for a few minutes) 
  • Eat healthy foods 

All these decisions help us to manage our time well! Exercise, for example, clears out mental fog so that our brains function more efficiently!  


Make Time for People 

We’re in college. Spend time with people. Develop deep, meaningful relationships that will last years after graduation. Missing out on personal relationships, especially the deep fellowship that we have as believers, is a mistake. Time management tips may serve us well, but if we neglect people, we miss the point. God uses our hard work and diligence so that we might serve others and point them to Him, not so that we can hoard our abilities to ourselves. I will admit, this is a lesson that I continue to learn. 

(Insert Photo_2 here) Caption: Make sure to take time to develop meaningful friendships with other people! 


Develop Rhythms 

Of course, life is not always predictable. We might get sick or have an important late-night conversation with a roommate. However, developing rhythms to our lives will decrease the stress of college. Here are some weekly rhythms I typically follow: 

  • Personal time with God in the morning 
  • Classes 
  • Homework time 
  • Exercise five to six days a week (typically not exceeding an hour) 
  • Involvement in different ministries 
  • Meals with others (individuals or groups) 
  • Time dedicated to not doing homework 
  • Church on Sunday 

The Bottom Line 

All these things sound difficult and require discipline, but they will significantly build us up and help us thrive. A professor of mine recently counseled my class that the diligence and virtue we build when we work hard towards an end is sometimes even more valuable than the end itself.  

I sincerely hope that these tips serve you well as you develop as a person, and, more importantly, as a follower of Christ. 

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