Master Time Management with These Biblical Principles

"In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." - Romans 8:37 NIV

One of the most common academic challenges that many college students face is time management. Balancing multiple assignments, projects, and exams is not easy — especially when navigating the additional layers of a part-time job or internship, sports and extracurriculars, and social activities.

So, if you're reading this right now and feeling overwhelmed, you are not alone.

However, every hour and every day is a gift from God available to us to steward wisely. By thinking about time management skills through the lens of Scripture and applying biblical principles to managing the hours in a day, you can find practical ways to prioritize your schedule.

8 Time Management Tips for Busy College Students

1. Seek the Lord First

When you're thinking about time management strategies, first and foremost, it's important to seek the Lord. Often, when life gets busy, the commitment to spiritual practices can easily get sacrificed for the tyranny of the urgent.

When you first go to the Lord in prayer and diligently read the Bible and reflect on its teachings, you'll approach your schedule with a greater sense of wisdom and peace. Proverbs 16:3 reminds us to "commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans" (NIV).

2. Create a Study Schedule — and Stick to It

Just like you should prioritize daily time with the Lord, the same goes for your coursework. It's a divine appointment on the path to your calling.

That said, you're likely taking multiple classes with many assignments, papers, tests, and more — all with different due dates and deadlines. It can be difficult to keep track of everything, which can trigger a procrastination mindset and make time management even more challenging. But remember that "whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men." - Colossians 3:23 (ESV).

So, invest some time upfront in creating a study schedule that includes all your course deadlines and exams on a calendar or app. Check out Pomofocus, a popular time-blocking resource, which suggests 25-minute intervals of focused work and has other time interval options.

Build in time blocks to write each section of a paper, complete coursework, and intentionally study — so you're not cramming at the last minute. Honor this schedule, treating it just as importantly as you would any other appointment.

3. Discontinue Mindless Multitasking

While you might consider yourself an excellent multitasker — maybe you're texting, talking to friends, doing your homework, studying, listening to music, and scrolling social media all at once — research has found that only 2.5% of people are so-called supertaskers with the ability to pull off multiple things at once well. For the rest of us, multitasking isn't possible — nor is it successful. "The more we multitask, the less we actually accomplish, because we slowly lose our ability to focus enough to learn," said neuropsychologist Dr. Cynthia Kubu in a Cleveland Clinic article.

What's more, another study found that college students who attempted to multitask actually took longer to do their homework and had lower average grades in the end.

To best maximize your time, approach each task with intentionality and stay singularly focused — taking Proverbs 4:25 as your guide: "Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you" (NIV).

4. Eliminate Distractions That Steal Your Time

Distractions like TV, social media, and texts can easily steal so many minutes and derail the best-laid plans to study or work on an assignment.

Even if you don't actively respond to a message or open TikTok, every time you see your phone light up with a notification, it shifts your focus. Try putting your phone on "do not disturb" or use a distraction-blocking app to stay focused and productive.

Remember the words of the Apostle Paul in Hebrews 12:1: "…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." (NIV)

5. Seek Godly Mentorship

While you may not initially think about mentorship to help with time management, 97% of individuals with a mentor feel they are highly impactful. Having the wisdom of an experienced mentor can be invaluable when it comes to prioritizing your schedule. As Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" (NIV).

At DBU, the Center for Mentoring connects you with faculty and staff who can help you grow academically, spiritually, and professionally as you find and fulfill God's call on your life as a servant leader.

6. Consider Counseling Support

Conquering academic challenges — like time management — often includes more than just college course help. Counseling might be a supportive thing to consider if you are feeling overwhelmed or if you find yourself engaging in unhelpful behaviors that are impeding your ability to manage your time well. As Proverbs 15:22 says: "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers, they succeed." (NIV).

The DBU Counseling Center promotes the mental health and well-being of currently enrolled DBU students, respecting them and honoring God through quality professional counseling services that integrate the Christian faith and enhance healthy emotional, psychological, and spiritual development. The Counseling Center's goal is to equip students to make changes to live a healthier and more fulfilling life, which can help with things like time management.

7. Include Rest in Your Routine

While running the race set out before us is essential, rest is also biblical. As Christians, we are called to Sabbath — "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy," says Exodus 20:8 (NIV).

Not only that, but it's healthy and restorative to find ways to slow down, take breaks, prioritize sleep, and trust that the Lord will equip and provide. Rest is good for your physical, spiritual, and mental health and helps you avoid burnout.

8. Remember Your "Why"

No matter if you're pursuing the arts, sciences, degree completion, or something else, it's all in pursuit of your unique God-given calling. Whenever you're struggling with time management and motivation — or feel the weight of other academic challenges — considering your "why" can be incredibly energizing.

Managing our time well — and seeing it as a gift from God — is how we can be wise stewards of every day.

Whether you're in a season of confidence or feeling overwhelmed, remember that the Lord holds you in His hand and "in all things works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28 (NIV).

At DBU, we are committed to providing students with all the support needed for spiritual, intellectual, physical, emotional, and social development to enable them to become Christian servant leaders throughout the world.