About the Planners

One of the biggest decisions you make in life was deciding to go to college on this campus. This decision came with a lot of responsibility. Here you will meet friends you will keep for the rest of your life, discover your talents and career opportunities, disappoint yourself, struggle with decisions about this new chapter in your life, smile, laugh, cry, have fun, take some risks and make a lot of memories. You are not here by mistake. Make the most of your journey here.

Scheduling your studying, personal time, classes, club meetings and favorite shows brings challenges. Mom isn’t here to make you attend your classes, study for your tests, or to cram for your finals. Maintaining your grades while building a resume through leadership positions on campus requires time.

The bottom line is, you have four or five years on this campus. Everyone has one commodity that puts them on an equal playing field . . . time. It is how you invest your time that will make a significant difference in your life. There are a lot more years awaiting you after you walk across that stage with diploma in hand. How you live now will significantly affect the rest of your life. They say hindsight is 20/20. Look ahead responsibly instead of looking back with regret.

We hope that you see these years as a launching pad for the rest of your life-a time to create who you are, who you want to be and how you want to get there. It all happens in 24,192 hours (if you graduate in four years). Of that time, 2,592 hours will be spent in class. That leaves 21,600 hours to study and learn, sleep and play, eat and drink, make friends and enemies, and lead and follow.

As you consider how you will invest the commodity of time, consider these five areas of your life.

Social
Many lifelong friendships start in college. How do you evaluate the quality of your friendships and dating relationships? Do you consider the significance of relationships and how people can influence you in good ways and bad ways? Are you spending time with the right people that will help you improve as an individual? We all long for community. College is a great time to set the pace for the rest of your life in the area of healthy relationships.

Financial
Spending money is a daily part of college life. Whether you are buying a meal off campus, something to wear for a formal or a new computer, money often goes out of your wallet a lot quicker than it is going in. Begin thinking through financial decisions, limit credit card purchases and consider putting together a budget. Making wise financial choices in college will lead to a healthier future and smart choices with money once you graduate.

Spiritual
You’re on your own, and you’re free to choose what to believe about God. You have a choice. Do you choose what your parents taught you or explore other things? Do you believe there is a personal God who loves you very much? Now is a great time to discover your own values and to find complete satisfaction in the deepest part of your soul. Jesus himself encouraged the seeking heart when he said “Seek and you shall find; knock and the door shall be opened.”

Physical
Taking care of your physical needs can be nearly impossible in college. Enough sleep is a rare experience for most. Eating and exercising seem to occur either way too much or way too little. While there are great places to work out, there are also more late night snacks and sleepless nights. Are you taking care of your body so that you can enjoy the other areas of your life?

Academic
Keeping up in your classes at times can seem impossible. Often cramming and pulling all-nighters before a major project or test becomes a regular part of achieving academically. Some come to college with good study habits and others struggle to get in the groove. There is much more to college than studying. You need to see this as an adventure in learning and discovery-not just getting the degree that will ensure job security. Get the most from your professors-ask hard questions, challenge yourself to learn and not perform just to get the grade.

College is an investment in your future. But there is more to life than work and money. And there’s more to college than just going to class and studying.

We hope this planner will enrich your life. It was designed to help you find balance in life and have the best college experience possible. You might find there is a lot of spiritual stuff in this planner. That’s because we feel that a relationship with Christ is a great foundation for relationships, peace, wisdom, maturity, joy, hope and faith.

Take a look through the different ads and articles. Visit the websites. Use the daily calendar. You’ll be several steps ahead of the people around you who don’t have a planner.