Time Management Tips

Balancing high school and college-level courses requires a shift in how you look at your schedule. Since dual enrollment courses often have more independent work than high school classes, "finding time" becomes a skill in itself.

Here are some tips to help you manage your time.

1. Keep a Calendar

• Action: Implement a "Semester-Long" Master Calendar: Map out all high-stakes due dates (exams, term papers) from your high school and college syllabi in one place (like Google Calendar or Outlook). Source: Cornell Learning Strategies Center 

• Pro-Tip: Color-code your tasks! Use one color for high school, a different color for college, and a third for extracurricular activities or work.

2. Schedule your time

In high school, most learning occurs in the classroom. In college, it happens on your own time.

• Treat study time like an actual appointment that you can't miss, rather than just waiting for a free moment.  Schedule your study time.

• Budget 2 to 3 hours of independent study for every 1 hour spent in a college lecture. Unlike high school, most college-level learning happens outside of class through intensive reading and research.

Source: SUNY Buffalo State & Cornell LSC

3. Identify your Spare Time

Dual enrollment students often have gaps in their day between classes or activities.  

• Action: Don't let 20-minute gaps go to waste. Keep a "Low-Energy Task List" (such as checking emails, organizing folders, or reviewing flashcards) that you can complete when you only have a few minutes.  Time adds up fast.

Source: Cornell Learning Strategies Center

4. Eat the Frog (The 24-Hour Rule)

College assignments are often much larger than high school worksheets. Procrastination is more "expensive" in college courses.

• Action: Try to start every college assignment within 24 hours of it being assigned. Even if you just write an outline or read the instructions, it breaks the "mental block" of starting.

🎓 Professionalism & Support Systems

Sources: SUNY Empire State University, College Board BigFuture.

• Self-Advocacy with Instructors: In college, professors do not "hand-hold" as high school teachers do. Communicate with instructors early if you have technical issues or don't understand the syllabus.

  • Source: SUNY Empire State University Distance Learning Tips

• Identify a Dedicated Study Space: Completing college work in the same place each time creates a "focused thinking habit" and signals to family members that you need quiet time.

  • Source: SUNY Empire State University

• Accountability & The Syllabus: The syllabus is a contract. High school students must learn to track their own unassigned "unofficial homework," such as keeping up with reading even if it isn't specifically graded every day.

  • Source: College Board General Dual Enrollment Guidance

Quick Reference for Your Website:

• Plan Ahead: Sync calendars immediately.

• Prioritize: Tackle the "Big Rocks" first.

• Study Smart: Use Active Recall, not just re-reading.

• Rest: Sleep 7–8 hours to allow your brain to process new information. (Source: SUNY Blog)