The air is getting chillier. The trees are on their way to becoming bare. Break is only a week away. This also means that finals week is fast approaching, and teachers are squeezing more assignments in as they rush to teach everything they had planned. The key to surviving and hopefully thriving through these last days is to stay relaxed and organized: the most helpful way to do this, as mentioned in last edition’s article, is time blocking. When finding time to study, exercise, and hang with friends gets difficult, it is time to make time.

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By now, whether you are a freshman or senior, you should have an idea about your

studying style. Perhaps you prefer breaks every 30 minutes. Or maybe you take your break only after you have completed your designated assignment. Whatever the case, laying out how you would like to spend your time is simple. If you’re new to time blocking or even planning out your days ahead of time, start by making a rough sketch of sorts. Note your breaks between classes or after classes, using a planner to keep track of your homework. Write out the order in which you plan to complete assignments, maybe getting quick papers out of the way first and studying later. 

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In the end, once you get comfortable with having an order for completing things, you can go search up a time blocking template. Though at first filling out the chart may seem like a chore itself, once you learn how quickly you can finish assignments and how much studying time you personally need, you’ll not only become more efficient at time blocking but also at studying and balancing your time. You will no longer need to feel guilty about spending time with friends or exploring Erie when you should be studying. You’ll have planned it!

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