Plan with a Purpose

By: Isabella Salas

Isa bringing her creativity and reflections to BCTRHT through Isa’s Corner.

Hello! This is Isabella Salas, BCTRHT’s Social Media and Community Engagement Intern. Starting this month I’ll have a feature in the BCTRHT Monthly Newsletter. I greatly look forward to sharing more about my experience as an intern, providing reflections, and amplifying youth voices.

This week I started college and I’ve been learning more about the importance of time management. All of high school I was given little tips and tricks but my teachers were always the ones making sure I had everything done on time. Entering college is a whole different ball game because no one is telling me what to do and when to do it. 

As an 18-year-old student and intern here are 5 habits that help effectively manage your time and stay on top of your responsibilities:

1. Accountability: Keep yourself accountable by limiting distractions. I try limiting distractions by reducing my screen time and studying in quiet environments.

2. Intentional Planning: Start by planning your month. Then, break it down to your week. Lastly, plan out what you want your day to look like. Give yourself time for rest, exercise, and hobbies. This is what works best for me when I’m given due dates at school or my internship because it allows me to visualize rather than try to keep everything in my head.

3. Small Efforts: Put a small effort towards a goal, task, and/ or assignment often to avoid procrastination. This can be a practical alternative to carving out hours in a busy schedule. This could be reading a few pages of a new book, brainstorming ideas for an assignment, or starting up a conversation with someone new. A goal I am putting small efforts towards is socializing on my new campus. For me, that looks like starting conversations with peers and professors, interacting with strangers, and getting out of my comfort zone.

4. Prioritize Tasks: Aim to complete assignments or tasks based on importance and urgency. For the past few weeks, as a part of my internship, I’ve been assisting a local non-profit organization in crisis with their social media and community engagement. Through this experience I’ve learned to prioritize urgency such as communicating the crisis ASAP on social media rather than spending weeks drafting a post.

5. Planner: Utilize a planner. Whether electronic or paper, a planner allows you to visualize deadlines, work events, homework, time off, etc. I utilize Google Calendar as my work planner and a physical school and personal planner.

For me, learning to plan better has meant becoming a better student, a better intern, and a more engaged member of my community. Time management is a personal skill but it’s also connected to how we care for others and create belonging. When we manage our time with purpose, we make space to listen, support, and grow alongside others. Plan with a purpose so you can thrive in your personal, academic, and professional life.

Want to see more of my work? Check out what I’ve been creating on BCTRHT’s Instagram.

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Isa’s Corner is a storytelling series exploring belonging, identity, and community through the reflections of a young leader growing and learning in Battle Creek.