Why There’s No Such Thing As Free Time
Hello, Netflix. Yes, you’re still watching. This summer you might feel like you have loads of free time. You don’t have classes or practices. Outside of a part-time job, your time is your own. Or is it?
The term “free time” is misleading. Your time isn’t free. This summer you have only a few months to accomplish some important steps. Start by understanding why free time isn’t a real thing.
Free time doesn’t exist because . . .
1. Time always costs you.
One of your most valuable resources is your time. Right now, you may feel like you have time to spare. You likely wish the days would pass more quickly, so that you could finally go to college.
In a matter of months, your life will be completely different. You will wish you could go back to this time before college. You will miss having the freedom to do whatever with your time. So carefully consider how you spend your time this summer.
The way you use your time matters. Don’t fall into the trap of believing “you have time,” because you are young. Wisely set aside time this summer to do what is important.
So, what important things should you be doing this summer? One, you should learn some important skills. In my post 11 Things You Should Know How To Do Before Going to College, I share practical skills that college-bound graduates should master. I also provide step-by-step instructions to help you learn them.
Two, you could start mentally preparing for the transition ahead. This next phase of life will be filled with changes and choices. You don’t want to begin the journey unprepared. In my book The Complete Guide to Your Freshman Year of College, I provide advice that I wish I had received before attending college. With less than 50 pages, this book is a short go-to guide to help you confidently start your first semester.
How you use your time matters, because time costs you. Wisely choose what you invest your time in this summer. You will not regret being prepared for college.
2. Time never goes backward.
Time is costly partially because you can never get it back. Once you’ve used your time, it is gone. Your time is not and will never be free. You cannot regain it once you’ve used it. Don’t spend your time like it is replaceable or reusable, because it is valuable.
If you’re anything like me you might hate this waiting period in between high school and college. You want this summer to go by quickly, so you can get to the exciting things ahead. But impatience can cause you to believe the lie that this summer is full of free time. It truly isn’t
I have a confession: When I was on summer break in the months after high school, I spent much of my time doing wasteful things. While binge-watching your favorite shows can sometimes be a helpful way of destressing, you probably shouldn’t spend weeks straight doing this. You cannot regain the time you use this summer, so be sure to prioritize people and preparations over Netflix.
You will never get this time back. Refuse to sit in your bed all day. Choose to get going. You will not regret spending your summer well, so make the best of it.
Make the most of your summer by . . .
1. Mastering time management
Before even starting this blog, I sat down and chatted with several parents about their biggest concerns about their college-bound children. Almost every parent said their #1 concern for their child was time management.
“Time management” is a term that is thrown around casually, but I’m not convinced everyone knows what it means. This term typically means having the skills to be productive and effective in your use of time. So in reality, saying “self management” instead of “time management” would be more accurate.
How are your time management skills? Everyone has a little room to improve, but maybe you know that you have more than a little room to improve. You know that you’ve never been very good at managing your time. You tend to lose track of time, get lost in your thoughts, arrive late, wake up late, and procrastinate until the night before. You’re not a lost cause. You can improve this skill, but please don’t wait until college to work on it!
What can you do to work on this skill this summer? First, make a weekly schedule. This may seem overboard considering you’re not in school, but believe me making a schedule can help you prepare for college.
For example, this summer you have little responsibilities, outside of apart-time job. Make a chart of your week and begin filling it out. You start by blocking out your work hours on your schedule. Then, you mark times where you should eat and sleep. All of your remaining hours can be labeled with tasks, activities, and even napping.
While you should have freedom to move things around in your schedule, actually making this schedule will help you start living like your time isn’t free. You will be more conscious of how you spend your day. Hopefully, you’ll start adding in things into your schedule that help you develop your skills.
Second, stick to a routine. Making a schedule is a good skill to develop, but schedules are useless without follow-through. Sticking to a routine takes self-discipline, and having any self-discipline in the summer can be difficult if you have few to no deadlines.
Figure out what motivates you besides deadlines. For example, you struggle getting to bed at a decent hour and, therefore, struggle waking up on time. You decide to make getting to bed by 11 p.m. and waking at 7 a.m. a regular part of your weekly schedule. You know that you are motivated by money, so you tell yourself that for every day you get to bed on time and wake up on time you set aside $1 toward something you want to buy. (Realistically, $1 may not be enough to motivate you but remember that you need to be saving money this summer.) As ridiculous as this gimmick may sound, it may work for you.
Eventually you need to learn to motivate yourself to stick to a routine without prizes or tricks, but starting here may help you get started. You may find that you don’t need that extra motivation after sticking to your routine for several weeks. Learning to discipline yourself before the added pressures of college pile on will make your transition to college smoother.
2. Planning for the start of college
College feels like it is very far away, but it isn’t. If you’ve already attended orientation at your college, you started to realize how close the start of your freshman year really is. Starting your college preparations in June is not too early. So what can you do to prepare?
First, preregister for your first semester classes. Most colleges encourage you to start class registration before arriving on campus at the beginning of the school year. Some students, however, struggle to do this due to lack of direction with their major. Don’t worry if you’re this student! You don’t have to declare a major in your first semester (and maybe not even your first year depending on your school).
Registering for classes can be a tricky process. I would encourage you to look at two things before choosing classes: your degree requirements and your future plan. Every college degree has certain requirements. You have to complete certain courses or credit hours in order to earn your degree. Most academic advisors do an excellent job guiding you with these requirements in mind, but be sure you know what these requirements are so that you can plan.
“Your future plan” sounds scary, because you probably don’t feel like you know what you’re doing with your life yet (which is completely fine by the way). Simply try to come up with an idea of where you want to be by the end of your college years. Do you want to earn a bachelor’s degree or an associate’s degree? Do you want to develop extra skills that require more classes? What classes will help you develop the skills you need for your career? How many semesters of college do you want to take?
These questions may seem completely overwhelming, but not knowing their answers is fine. Take this summer to come up with some sort of answer to each one, even if that answer is “I don’t know yet.” However, do not wait until college to start thinking about the these questions. Your brain will be preoccupied with other things that seem more immediately pressing.
Second, study your subject area. Yes, I’m serious. Summer should be a time of break, but you can take a break and occasionally do some reading. Doing some light studying make you feel like an extreme overachiever, but don’t let yourself think this way. You are actually being smart by planning ahead.
Studying your subject area doesn’t have to be your summer obsession. It can be more like a side hobby. For example, challenge yourself to read 1 article every week, finish 2 books, and connect with 1 professional in your field. Starting with these small, achievable goals will take the scariness out of summer studying.
Third, purchase some college items you will need. June is not too early to start buying some of these items. Begin to search for the best version of the things you need. Read product reviews, talk to those who just completed their freshman year, and read articles.
So what items should you start looking for this summer? I would encourage you to carefully consider your more expensive or heavily used items: your laptop and your backpack
Your laptop will probably be one of your biggest purchases up to this point in your life. The temptation when purchasing a laptop is to choose one that is incredibly cheap or incredibly expensive. Try to find the in-between.
While purchasing a cheap laptop may save you money right now, you will likely have to purchase another one in a year or two. Speaking as a former college student, I would highly discourage you from purchasing a cheap laptop. The more schooling you receive, the tighter your finances will be. Purchase something you can afford but that will last you all four years.
Purchasing an expensive laptop may help you impress your peers and roommate in the first few weeks of school, but your money can probably be spent better on other things. You don’t need the latest tablet or MacBook. Choose something that will get the job done well without draining your bank account dry.
Carefully consider what equipment your major will require, for what you will truly use your laptop, and how much money you can afford to spend. Next, ask other students in your major about their laptop may also help. Then, simply make the best decision for you.
Your backpack or bookbag is an important purchase. Why? Carrying heavy textbooks across your campus with a poorly structured backpack is asking for health problems. Your back and body will suffer if you choose the wrong one.
College campuses also have trends even when it comes to backpacks. Completely ignoring these trends can make you stick out and not in a good way. While trends come and go, you probably want to avoid a backpack that makes you look juvenile or snooty.
For example, roller backpacks are generally not a good fit for a college campus (unless you have a medical condition). These backpacks will make you stick out like a sore thumb. You may be better to carry around less books than to carry around every textbook in a roller backpack.
As another example, using a designer bookbag is probably not the way to go either. You will have a hard time actually using this bag as a bookbag. You may also be constantly paranoid that you will scuff, scratch, rip, or mark your expensive bag. In addition, some people may assume you’re rich or stuck on yourself. You would do better to buy something more practical and less flashy.
Consider what kind of textbooks you will be carrying, whether or not you will need to bring your laptop to classes, or what kind of other items you need to bring with you. Having a zipper pocket for your school ID, a side pocket for a water bottle, a pocket for your laptop, and a front zipper pocket for pens and pencils are helpful. Investing $40-$60 is completely understandable, because you want this bag to last you more than one year.
Goodbye, Netflix. Hello, intentionally using your time well. You can make the most of your summer and prepare for college without spending your every waking moment stressed out. Determine to value your time this summer!
