Prioritizing

I still remember the week of finals at the University of Miami. I was in the library studying and finishing assignments that were due. I wasn’t a big fan of the all-nighters, but I knew that I had to do what was necessary to pass my exams. During one of my breaks, I happened to walk by many computers that were occupied by students who were preparing for exams as well (or at least it seemed).

What I noticed was that the majority of the computer screens displayed the popular Facebook website; but what was even more astonishing were the many sighs from having to study that were made while being preoccupied by the social media giant. Papers they were writing were quickly switched to social media networks to deter from the rigors of studying, and though I was no study freak, this scene bothered me. It was disturbing because it got me to thinking about all of the things that are present that distracts us and how we allow them to do so.

“Priorities” was all I was able to think about. It was finals and the pressure was on, yet people still found ways to allow things to distract them.

Now, to be clear, I suffered from the priority bug as well. I went to my share of parties, missed my share of classes and even at times just pushed my work to the side. I just attributed it to the normal part of college and because of that my grades were impacted as well.

            But the one thing that I learned was that in order for me to have a successful college experience, I seriously needed to prioritize between what was fun and what was necessary. I had to find a way to wade through the murky waters of my academics, baseball, social life and what I wanted in life.

            If you are struggling with the same issues, here are a few things that may help you:

 

1. Determine what you want or are expecting to get from your college experience. This is very important because in order to prioritize college, studying or your career, you must be able to answer “why am I here?” It is crucial that you identify that purpose or have a clear objective even if you may not be sure as to what your major is going to be. Is your purpose to prepare you for a promising career, to learn valuable life experiences or to just have fun?
2. Make a list of all of the things you have on your plate (classes, extracurricular activities, etc.). Composing this list will allow you to be able to SEE and organize your life in order to be able to best formulate a plan for success.
3. Decide which ones are most important on the list. When you identify these things that are most important, place them at the top of your list and label them as your “must.” The remaining things shall follow the same pattern in terms of categorizing. Try to limit the categories to 3 columns e.g. MUST, IMPORTANT, and LEAST IMPORTANT.
4. Try putting together a schedule or plan to complete tasks. This will aid in keeping you on track with your work. Give yourself a deadline to complete a project that ends before the actual due date. You will learn that this helps to eliminate procrastination. Once you develop a pattern of consistency and punctuality with your work, it will begin to come more naturally.
5. Have a solid study team of serious people who are willing to keep you on track and hold you accountable. This is important because when you begin to slip your group can give you the needed push to get back in line.