By David Ramirez

College students, especially new ones, are learning something you can’t learn in a classroom: time management.
When full-time students juggle classes and a job, it can be quite difficult.
As a student with a 4.0 GPA, I wanted to challenge myself beyond this semester. I’m taking six college courses and working two jobs, which makes time management very important.
When I tell my classmates about my situation, they ask me how I do it. I always respond with, “That’s easy, I just gave up my free time.”
Students are often distracted by things other than school, such as social networking, video games and procrastination. I used to spend most of my time on social networking sites such as Facebook or Instagram, but now I rarely have time for those activities.
I use a planner to assist me with my time management. Seeing your time on paper or through an app on a smartphone can give you a better idea of what free time you have. I love having a planner app on my phone. It’s really easy to access my schedule because it’s always at my fingertips.  I have alarms set up for certain tasks to remind myself what I should be doing at what specific time.
Setting deadlines is helpful. Breaking down everything step by step is a sure way to conquer time. Although I sometimes feel like stress will overtake me, I always try to think positively because I believe thinking positively helps students perform better at work and on tests.
Prioritizing tasks is also very important. Worry about the most important items on your list first before tackling smaller tasks.
Sometimes, situations can pop out of nowhere. In those circumstances, all I can do is work through it efficiently. Since I use a planner, I can adjust my time as needed.
I always stay busy, but I simply love it because I know I’m completing many goals while earning money. I get a great sense of accomplishment knowing that I can achieve many objectives simultaneously.
I honestly didn’t mind giving up all of my free time because I would rather do something productive than just sit around.
If I can do it, you can do it as well.
To reach your full potential in life you must overcome many challenges. So put down the remote control or your smartphone and ask yourself what you should really be doing right now.