Special Edition Spring 2024: How do they make it work?

Navigating time management with Gabrielle Agbenyiga and Louise Ba

By Najma Hussein

Time management is one of the hardest life skills to perfect. Some students never master it — and some try different time management techniques but quickly fall out of the habit. As a senior, Gabrielle Agbenyiga ‘24 (Economics/Women and International Development) has honed her skills in prioritization, organization and resilience, making her someone that Katies striving to excel academically and personally can look up to.

“I find that managing time in my life also means designating and blocking off certain hours and periods of the day for working on the daily tasks that I receive through school, work and my life in general,” Agbenyiga said.

Student Senate President Louise Ba ‘24 (Political Science/Economics/Public Policy) said that time management is all about allocating time: “Time management to me means prioritizing the things that are most important and handling them in small, achievable chunks, making sure that I have time for rest throughout.”

Time management can mean so many things since it varies from person to person, depending on their habits and responsibilities. Being a freshman in college, trying to learn how to manage your time can be hard when the pressure of assignments catches up to you.

Distractions and life can ultimately get in the way of studies. How do we handle this?

“I handle distractions or unexpected events by prioritizing my time,” Ba said, “if it is something relating to my family, it takes precedence over everything, but if it has to do with my social life, I prioritize academics over that.”

“Life can always come with unexpected events,” Agbenyiga said. “Some days I’m mentally prepared, and others I am not. I usually try not to panic if things interrupt my schedule, but I do always use the mini time slots that I have during the day to take time for myself and to think about what is the best way to approach a situation.

“If I can’t solve the matter within the day, I remind myself that my rest is also important and that the situation can always be tended to in the morning after a good night’s rest.”

Allocating your time also means knowing where to write down your schedule or a list of things you need to do.

“I used to use a planner all through middle and high school,” Agbenyiga said, “but college is a whole different game, and because we all have a lot on our plates and use our computers/phones more – I found that task lists work better for me.”

Every Sunday she uses Google Tasks and Calendar to write up her weekly tasks with the due dates and times listed on her calendar, Agbenyiga explained.

Ba takes a three-pronged approach.

“I use my alarm, my Google Calendar and my Apple calendar all at once,” she said. “I set multiple alarms for different things during the day on Sunday so that I can keep myself on track.”

Ba’s and Agbenyiga’s methods are just two examples of time management techniques you can try out: It’s important to figure out what works best for you. Mastering time management can pose challenges, but discovering the strategies that suit both academic success and mental well-being is invaluable. While this journey may require patience and adaptation, the ability to readjust is key to achieving proficiency in this essential skill.