Managing Your Time and Your Life at Michigan

With all of the opportunities, expectations, and responsibilities being constantly thrown at you as Michigan students, it's easy to become overwhelmed. Many transfer students express that the academic work at Michigan isn't necessarily harder, but that there's a lot more of it and the classes move a lot faster than at their previous school. Because of this, good time management becomes very important in order to thrive at Michigan.

In general, good time management involves having clear goals and priorities. Make a plan each week to see if your activities contribute to your vision of success at Michigan. Prioritize by reviewing your to-do list each week and scheduling time to work on the important and urgent projects first.

If you're struggling with this transition, there are a variety of campus resources that can help make it a little easier. Counseling and Psychological Services or CAPS is a mental health service on campus that provides free counseling to students dealing with issues large and small. In addition to one-on-one counseling sessions, CAPs offers a series of workshops addressing common problems students experience, from time management, to stress reduction, to sleep deprivation. Visit their website for a full schedule of their workshops or visit CAPS at 3100 Michigan Union (530 S. State Street) to make an appointment with a counselor.

Academic support resources are also available to students. These include the Sweetland Writing Center, the Language Resource Center, the Math Lab, the Physics Help Room, and the Science Learning Center to name a few. Some departments also provide tutoring services, and of course don't forget to reach out to your instructors during office hours.

In addition, many classes offer study groups. These study groups allow you to meet up with other students outside of class and work through problems together. If a class you are taking doesn't offer built-in study groups, it is possible to make your own by connecting with fellow students in the class and deciding on a shared meeting time. Taking advantage of these resources early on will help you immensely during stressful times, like midterms and finals week. Don't be afraid to ask for help before it becomes overwhelming.