The summer before college is the perfect time for students to build time management and planning skills that will serve them well on campus. Summers can be busy. Students are often juggling part-time (or full time!) jobs, family commitments, and preparations to move out of their parents’ houses and into the dorms. They are also navigating the emotional waves that come with leaving high school behind.
Here are our tips for rising college freshman on how to practice organizing their time before they begin school in the fall.
1. Get Comfortable with a Planner or Calendar System
Before college classes and deadlines kick in, experiment with organizing your life now. Some people thrive with a physical planner, enjoying the satisfaction of writing things down and crossing them off. Others prefer a digital calendar (like Google Calendar) or a task manager (like Todoist or Notion) that can send reminders and sync across devices.
Try both this summer and see what clicks. Use your system to block off time for work shifts, family plans, doctors appointments, and hangouts with friends. Seeing your commitments laid out helps prevent overbooking and lets you make room for downtime.
2. Balance Your Commitments
Start with your non-negotiables—what do you have to do each week? Remember that downtime is important too. Just because you can fill every hour doesn’t mean you should. Learning to say no or adjust your schedule is part of time management, too.
3. The Sunday Hour: Your Weekly Check-In
Set aside one hour every Sunday to review the past week and plan the next. Look at what worked, what didn’t, and what’s coming up. Did you have enough time for your family? Did you want to spend more time outside or at the gym? Adjust accordingly.
Use this time to:
Update your calendar or planner
Set 2–3 weekly goals (ex: go on a 2 runs, cook dinner with mom, etc.)
Make sure your to-do list is current
This habit can make your week feel more intentional and reduce stress once classes begin.
By testing different tools and routines now, you’ll walk onto campus with more confidence and clarity. Time management means making room for what matters most—and learning to balance the rest.