College schedules often mean having an afternoon, or even a full day, off from class. This can be a great time to catch up on work, but an unscheduled afternoon can quickly disappear. You might check social media for “just a few minutes,” watch an episode of a show, or lie down for an afternoon nap. Then, all of a sudden, it’s 5:00 p.m., and you’re wondering where your afternoon went. You might even feel like you didn’t accomplish anything with all your time off.
Often, unstructured time is harder to manage than structured time.
College requires students to make many decisions independently, including how to use the hours between classes, activities, work, and other commitments. Learning how to intentionally structure free time is an important part of developing time-management and planning skills to support academic success.
Try some of the following strategies for making the most of an open afternoon.
Ask Yourself What You Actually Need
Before filling your afternoon with random tasks to help yourself feel productive, take a second to check in with yourself.
Ask:
- What deadlines are coming up?
- What would make tomorrow easier?
- How much energy do I have?
- Do I need to work, rest, socialize, or a combination of all three?
This last question is arguably the most important. Rest, exercise, socializing, hobbies, and downtime are all good uses of your time. The goal isn’t to squeeze as much work as possible into every open hour.
Look at the Big Picture
One of the easiest ways to waste an open afternoon is to think only about the present moment. You may not have anything due on your day off, so be sure to look ahead.
Check your syllabus, planner, calendar, or to do list. What is coming up over the next week? When you know what is coming, you can make a better decision about how to use your free time.
Doing this is effective time management: using your time based on your priorities rather than mindlessly filling the time you have.
Give Your Afternoon Structure
Once you know what you want to accomplish, create a basic plan.
For example:
- 1:00–1:30: Lunch
- 1:30–2:15: Work on biology assignment
- 2:15–2:30: Break
- 2:30–3:15: Read for English
- 3:15–4:00: Exercise or go for a walk
A common mistake is to think that structuring your time means scheduling every minute. It doesn’t. A good plan gives your afternoon enough structure to help you get started, while leaving room for flexibility.
Final Thoughts
Taking a few minutes to check your priorities, look ahead, and create a simple plan can help you avoid the “where did the day go?!” feeling. Some afternoons might be for getting ahead on schoolwork, and others might be exactly what you need for rest or time with friends. When you give your free time some structure, you can make room for productivity and fun.