by Kelly Morgan (whetstone staff writer)

Sophomore Rachel Connolly works on homework between classes. Cochise Lucas

Jesse Trump wakes up every morning at 5 a.m. to eat a quick breakfast and exercise.

It’s important for him to get up this early because from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. he attends classes, followed by football practice.

“I’ve been working on a lot of graduate school stuff and doing homework in the morning,” said Trump, a senior exercise science major.

Time management skills are necessary for some students who juggle class, sports, work and a social life.

Organizational skills are a must for students, said Dr. Angela D’Antonio, a Wesley College psychology professor.

“Keeping a calendar can help, a lot,” she said. “Writing everything down keeps track of all that you have to do and helps you plan ahead, so things don’t sneak up on you.”

Some students don’t find it a problem.

“I don’t have a problem with time management,” said Abdul Hameed, senior math major. “I’ve learned over the years that my time has to be spent wisely. I have to get what’s important done and what’s important to me done.”

It is important to Hameed to have time to himself and to hang out with friends.

“If I fall behind with my school work, I won’t be able to have a good time or go out with my friends,” he said. “Spending time with my friends is important to me.”

Good time management techniques include awareness, organization and commitment.

“Keeping a daily ‘to-do’ list helps prioritize tasks that need to be done,” D’Antonio said. “Being able to check off items as they are completed gives you a sense of satisfaction and things feel more manageable.”

At night, Trump works in Parker Library as a security guard before he goes to sleep and starts it all over again.

“I usually go to sleep around midnight,” he said. “I don’t care that it’s early. If I stayed up later, I would wake up later. It’s easier to get things done in the morning.”

Trump’s schedule helps him manage his time properly.

“I think I do good with the way I set myself up and my schedule,” he said. “I wake up earlier than most – it helps me get stuff done.”

Hameed quit soccer to make his schedule smoother.

He has a passion for the game, but knows there are higher priorities.

“I cut soccer out because I wasn’t getting much playing time on the team,” Hameed said. “I wanted to focus on things that would actually get me somewhere instead of just keeping me in the same place.”

He has a lot of class and work to do.

“Having soccer as a responsibility on top of everything else would be too much,” he said.