Time Management Tips for Music Majors
Going off to college is a new, exciting adventure. Suddenly you have so much more to juggle–classes, rehearsals, performances… the list seems never-ending. Continue reading for my best time management tips for music majors!
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Why is Time Management Important for Music Majors?
As music majors, it can be very difficult to prioritize everything we need to get done. Practicing solo repertoire, orchestra music, chamber music, doing homework, writing papers, eating, sleeping… There’s a lot to do!
Adding some of these time management tips into your routine will help you get everything done that you’d like to while still feeling like yourself.
Managing your time can help reduce stress. When you’re not worried about how you’ll find the time to get things done, you can just relax! It’s so helpful to know that you’ve got it all covered.
Here are some of my best time management tips for music majors!
Schedule everything in advance
Schedule everything a week or so ahead of time. Having a weekly schedule that I stuck to really helped keep me on track through my time as a music major.
It doesn’t have to be rigid and uncomfortable–just enough planned that you know you’ll get everything done. This way, you can prioritize everything on your to do list, and find a time for everything. Having an idea of exactly when you’ll practice, when you’ll write the paper, and when you’ll go to office hours will put your mind at ease.
But how do you create this schedule? First you need to find an organization system that works for you.
Find a planning system that works for you
I’ve used so many different planners through the years: Google Calendar, a whiteboard, paper planner, my iPad… They all have their pros and cons. I highly suggest trying different types of planners until you find one that you can stick with and isn’t a hassle to use.
Use a Practice Journal
I’m a big advocate for practice journals. I found that once I started using one, my practice sessions were more driven and focused. I started to understand what I needed to work on to get better, and I could visually see my progress. This kept me motivated–I had tangible evidence that I was putting in work! This is one of my biggest time management tips for music majors specifically.
Want to see how I use my practice journals? Check out my post all about practice journals here!
Set time limits
Give yourself time limits for tasks. I found that I had better time management when I gave myself deadlines.
Work will expand to fill the time frame you give it–this is commonly referred to as “Parkinson’s Law.” Setting a short time limit for a specific task can help you complete it quicker!
I’ve experienced success setting time limits for practicing and writing papers. If I set a timer for 15 minutes to learn a passage of music, I get it done. If I set a timer for an hour to write part of a paper, I work a lot more effectively.
But you can’t work all the time–you need to have some time off.
Give yourself breaks
Build breaks into your schedule. Being strict about when you’ll rest can help you work more efficiently until “break time.” Of course, be kind to yourself. If you aren’t feeling physically or mentally well, do whatever you need to do to feel better.
Building in breaks is a great time management strategy for a few different reasons. It can help keep you motivated and driven to complete your tasks to get the reward of a break, whether that break will involve napping, snacking, scrolling, or playing a game.
Breaks can help reduce stress. Think about how you take breaks when you practice (I hope you do–if you don’t, let me know so I can write a post about that!!). You likely take breaks during your practice sessions for a few different reasons:
- To keep up your stamina
- To take a mental break
- To rest
- To feel refreshed
I don’t know why, but many of us feel like we can only take breaks when we practice, and not when we work on other tasks like homework assignments.
If you find yourself taking short breaks during your practice sessions, try doing the same thing during your other tasks–it might help keep you feeling refreshed!
Set goals
Setting goals can help your time management by giving you motivation. If you have a reason to do something, you’re so much more likely to get it done.
These goals can be as small as you’d like–to eat breakfast before your 8am class, or as large as you’d like–to maintain a 3.8 GPA.
Write it down, schedule actionable steps into your schedule. Giving yourself goals and a plan will keep you motivated and on track. You’ll feel so good once you get to the finish line!
What time management tips have helped you? Leave a comment down below to help others succeed!
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