Time is the Enemy?

According to research by Complete College America, the longer it takes to earn a degree, the less likely you are to succeed. The logic is straightforward. As time passes, "life happens" and completing college becomes all the more difficult. Maybe a child is born, or a spouse transfers jobs, or funds dry up, or goals change.

These numbers also bear out at Community College of Denver. Full-time students are twice as likely to persist and complete as part-time students.

Reality is rarely black and white. While part-time students may be less successful due to the passage of time, it may also be that the life circumstances that lead to part-time enrollment (financial instability, working multiple jobs, family commitments, et cetera) are the true culprits of non-completion. For students in these situations, attempting to force full-time enrollment may lead to even quicker stop out from college.

Yet, one fact is absolutely certain. The longer you are in college as a part-time student, the more it costs. There is opportunity cost, which is the extra income you will earn with a degree that is being delayed as your time to degree extends. There is financial aid cost, as extra credits may endanger your eligibility for grants and part-time enrollment may disqualify you from certain scholarships. There is interest cost, which may be accruing on your student loans to be capitalized upon exit from college. There is inflationary cost, as tuition and fees continue to rise year in and year out. There is motivation cost, as students simply burn out as college drags on and on.

The questions become: If you are a part-time student, why? Is there any way to realistically increase your enrollment in order to shorten your time to degree completion?

You may consider scholarships, grants, work-study, and the prudent use of student loans to increase your income and hence decrease your work hours.

You may consider evening, weekend, and online courses to better manage your personal commitments and increase your enrollment.

You may consider utilizing all the academic support resources possible to ensure that you do not need to repeat courses and can manage a heavier course load.

You may consider adjusting your work schedule, delegating household tasks, asking family members for help, and pausing your social life during the semester.

You may consider enrolling year round with inter-term and summer term courses.

You may use online resources such as the Khan Academy, on-campus resources such as the Prep Lab, and accelerated course options in order to hasten your time through remedial courses.

You may boost your motivation and determination to "put in the work" now that you know the cost and danger of moving along at a more leisurely pace.

What else might you do?

Finding Balance

Check out this online presentation on time management!

The Challenge of Priorities

It is no secret: there are too few hours in the day for us to accomplish all the things we would like to do or need to do. From working to parenting to attending class to completing an internship to finding time for exercise and wellness, we are - quite simply - too busy.

Time management strategies - from planning a schedule to minimizing distractions to using technology - help us be more efficient, and thus achieve more in the same amount of time. This can certainly be helpful in managing our hectic lives. However, let's not confuse time management with time travel or cloning multiple selves. Whereas these science fiction strategies might allow us to complete an unlimited number of tasks, the human reality is that efficiency can only take us so far. There comes a point where we just need to decide what we will do, AND what we won't do. In other words, we need to set priorities.

But how do you decide whether it is more important to work or to go to class? To take your child to soccer practice or to take yourself to the doctor? Such dilemmas are the challenge of priorities.

There are no easy or clear answers to these questions. But you can make a few considerations to inform tough decisions. Consider:

-  What are my goals for the next year? Does this activity move me closer to my goals?

- Does the benefit of doing the activity outweigh the cost of not doing the activity, or vice versa?

- Am I sacrificing my own achievement/wellness in order to support another person, while not being supported in return?

-  Is the amount of activities that I take on each day sustainable in the long run, or do I need to cut back to avoid burnout?

- Is there a strategic way to cut back on the time spent on an activity in the short term without compromising the longer term outcome (such as fewer courses per semester)?

- Are there any major issues dragging you down (emotional imbalance, debt, sour relationships) that can be resolved in the short term with extra time and attention, thereby freeing you up for the longer term?

- Is the activity you are working on just busy work, or are you actually achieving some sort of outcome that moves you forward?

- Are you busy or are you productive?

Not enough time in the day?

Time management strategies have the potential to increase both efficiency and balance in your busy day-to-day life.

Remember, different strategies work for different people. Experiment with the basics of time management and see what works for you!

1. Set goals/tasks to complete each week. At the beginning of each week, identify what you want to complete that week. When identifying goals, think about all aspects of your life: college, work, home, health, family, friends, and free time.

2. Prioritize a to-do list. Review the goals you identified. Break each goal into a task - something that can be completed in less than 2 hours. Create a to-do list of tasks based on high, medium, and low priority. For example, a high priority task is something you absolutely must complete this week.

3. Create a schedule. Use a planner - on your computer, on your phone, paper-based - and schedule time during the week when you will complete tasks on your to-do list, starting with high priority items. Don't forget to include time on your schedule for health, family, friends, and free time! (These are often the first to be de-prioritized, but I suggest using time management strategies to increase efficiency AND balance in your life.)

4. Stay focused. Remain with a task until you complete it. Manage your interruptions - i.e. shut off your phone at certain times. Schedule high energy tasks during the time of day when you have the most energy. Keep things in balance to avoid burn-out.

For more details and suggestions, visit with your educational case manager or check out Mind Tools.