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First of all, the article shows that college students can possibly balance their time by learning time management skills with the right mindset. For instance, the very first thing that Lucier asks the students to consider is the management of academic time. She says that “even though you may have a million other things going on, it's important to remind yourself why you're in college in the first place: to graduate” (Lucier). Notice that Lucier didn’t start by telling her audience to list down their tasks and organize them according to priority. Instead, it is evident that she is telling her audience, the college students, to start working on their mindset first by reminding themselves of the reason why they are in college. In addition, Lucier also discusses personal time management. She states that “it's an unrealistic expectation to think that you can study, go to class, and work all day, every day. Your brain needs a break, too!” (Lucier). Here, Lucier is once again setting the students’ mindset so they would know the importance of allocating time for one’s self. Because college students need to accomplish many tasks, they can be overwhelmed by what they need to do, when they need to do it, and how. Oftentimes, they fail to give some time for themselves, which is why they become so stressed out with their lives. By encouraging the establishment of the right mindset, Lucier lets the students know the importance of organizing one’s thoughts first in order to come up with a good strategy to deal with their tasks – a very important step in proper time management.
Second, the article shows that personal discipline is an important aspect of time management, and this is vital to properly balance time in college. For instance, in order to manage academic time, Lucier reminds students to set a schedule for academic activities and to keep this schedule to themselves just like how they would do to anything else in their calendar. It is a fact that many students often procrastinate, so this means that in order to stick to their schedule, college students need to establish a sense of discipline. This is what Lucier wants to convey through her reminder. Moreover, Lucier also mentions the importance of keeping a healthy mind. She states that “while it may be common among college students, a lack of sleep is more detrimental” (Lucier). She adds that students must include a time for sleep when they plan out their schedule (Lucier). Clearly, she is encouraging students to be more disciplined in order to avoid risking their health. Being sick, after all, will cost them more time.
Overall, the article convinces students that balancing time in college is quite possible by acquiring time management skills. She delivers this main message by discussing how it can be done through the right mindset and proper discipline.
Works Cited
Lucier, Kelci Lynn. “Learn to Manage Your Time in College.” U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News & World Report, 5 Oct. 2011. Web. 5 April 2016.