Welcome to college. The real world. Real life. Now here's your complimentary calendar and date book. See all those darkened squares? Yeah. You're going to be busy during those times.

For most new students, adjusting to the college timescale is rough. Instead of a rigid high school class scheduleseven hours followed by an afternoon of whatever-the-heck-you wantcollege classes run from early morning to late at night, occasionally on weekends, and always with large time gaps in between. Extra curriculars have times all their own, and recreational events like concerts, plays, sports, or discount pizza buffets are scheduled even more weirdly. One or more of your classes will always conflict with something else you'd like to do.

Furthermore, college is supposed to be a time of growth and free choiceand then everyone you meet demands your presence someplace at some specific time. We're glad you've enrolled as a clarinet major; practice rooms are open Monday thru Thursday evenings. Want some lunch? The dining hall operates from nine a.m. to two p.m., but closes from three to four for cleanup and dinner preparation. Need some tutoring? Every subject has a different help lab, with different techs working different hours in different buildings.

Life's unfair. They never said a four-year degree would be easy. And not only has your workday extended from eight to fifteen (or more!) hours, but securing your dream piece of paper requires you to be a slave to everyone else's punch clock.

But while college is a time of work, business, personal growth and enlightenment, it's foremost a time to forge your own path and determine who you want to become. So decide; beat the world at its own game and darken a few of your own squares on that calendar. Tell your fan club you'll be busy during those times; busy with a hot shower, a quesadilla, moonlit walk, or an MMORPG. "Thanks for the invite," you kindly reply, "but I'll have to study with you guys tomorrow. I need a breather." And that's that.

Don't misunderstand; scheduling time for yourself while there's urgent work to be done is never healthy; you can't just drop the ball because it crashed your happy hour. Part of life is adapting to surprises, so expect times when you're forced to gear up for extended duty. But by scheduling yourself downtime around your required work, you not only ensure yourself needed rest, but are training your body and mind to rest more efficiently during those set hours. You can become a sort of "power down timer" that's as balanced and efficient during slack time as you are at work.

Forcing such times into your schedule may seem odd, but with routine and practice it'll soon become second nature. Establishing a rhythm of work and play will diversify your mind; you'll feel no qualms switching back and forth and be more focused on completion of the task you've switched to. This not only aids your studies, but builds an important job skill. Employers love people who can switch focus to a more urgent request on the fly, and they love it even more when you show up at work the next morning, rested and ready to tackle something new.

Learn more about this author, Nicholas Stitt.
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