Monday, March 31, 1997
By Judy Cha
Daily Bruin Contributor
The clock is ticking. Every minute counts.
In the isolated bubble called college, students have a daily
mission: to walk the fine line between work and play, trying not to
give in when fun beckons. Fitting a busy schedule into a 24-hour
day poses a challenge to many college students.
"I’m good at planning my time, but when it comes down to it, if
I find distractions, I’ll forget my priorities," said Anita
Pourhosseini, a first-year political science student taking 16
units.
When it comes to balancing her social life with schoolwork,
Pourhosseini said she doesn’t have much of a plan other than to
proceed with brashness. She has yet to find a set routine that
works.
Being a first-year student, Pourhosseini explains that adapting
to a new environment makes it hard to give priority to school
before the social aspect of college.
"One I get immediate rewards from and the other I don’t," she
said.
"I feel like I’m a little kid at the carnival, and I want to go
on every single ride. I can’t decide where to go so I end up not
doing anything. I need to calm down and get in the swing of things.
It took 18 years at home to finally get into a set routine, and
then you come here and you have to start all over again."
On the other end of the spectrum, with five years of college
life experience behind her, is Alice Chen.
Chen, a microbiology and molecular genetics student and a
resident assistant (RA) at Saxon Suites, took 17 units Winter
Quarter. After many trials and errors, she has learned to manage
her time during her college career.
Conscientiously, Chen prioritizes her commitments, placing
school first, her RA job second and a research assistant job
third.
"My third year was when I realized that I needed to get myself
together and graduate within a reasonable amount of time. I was
starting to see that I needed to be responsible about my future and
do something productive," Chen said.
Lack of efficiency in accomplishing everyday tasks convinced
Chen that she needed to set priorities, which meant to stop
partying her second year at UCLA and to focus her energies more on
school.
"I always make lists and go through everything, crossing off
things I’ve done," Chen said. She also keeps a calendar and sticks
to it, setting time for studying, socializing, the television show
"ER," research, meetings and RA duties.
Making lists, using a planner, setting a regular study time and
establishing realistic goals are just a few tips offered through
time management workshops held periodically at Sunset Commons.
"Time management is a valuable subject for incoming freshmen and
transfer students," explained Paul Cohen, a Fall Quarter graduate
of UCLA who conducts the time management workshops.
Some students attend time management workshops because they need
the extra push to tackle their responsibilities, according to
Chen.
"If we remind them of good habits, then it’s definitely
worthwhile," Cohen said. He explains that successful students are
ones who have managed their time well.
"The students’ most precious commodity is their time and energy.
Learning how to go about managing the time you have, and putting
all this in a schedule that works, provides a structure of how to
manage time," said Bruce Barbee, director of Academic Support
Workshops at Sunset Commons and a counselor in the College of
Letters and Science.
About four weeks ago, Pourhosseini quit two jobs because they
offset the balance in her college life.
Working at Kerckhoff Coffeehouse and at a telemarketing firm
simultaneously for almost 20 hours a week sapped her energy and
diminished study time, convincing her to discontinue both jobs.
As a result, Pourhosseini now has more flexibility to exercise
at her leisure.
According to Pourhosseini, after 10 weeks of head-to-head
battling with the quarter system, she has learned more than an iota
about her limits.
"There is a big party tonight, and I didn’t go because I’m going
to stay up and write my paper," she said on a recent Friday
night.
This is a bit unusual for someone who ordinarily cannot be
reached on weekend nights.
Frequent outings to clubs and Jerry’s Famous Deli help
Pourhosseini catch her breath in her eventful college life.
"It makes me happy because it gives me a reason to look forward
to this whole week, and I think if you’re not an overall happy
person then everything in your life gets dragged down," she
said.
Chen has also learned some time management tricks such as taking
breaks to keep her sanity.
"If I have a lot of stuff to do, I reprioritize  I tell
myself to slow down and to take one thing at a time," she said.
One recent Sunday, Chen went to Mountain High Ski Resort just
"to get out of the city" and wrote her history paper there.
"I plan procrastination into my time," she said.
Another time, Chen drove on the Pacific Coast Highway for 45
minutes past Pepperdine and Malibu, doing nothing more than
expending gas, and then she drove back to campus.
"Despite my responsibilities, I am still able to do everything
and have spare time. I’m not stressed out about managing time, my
grades have improved, and overall, I’m a lot more efficient."
According to Chen, a South Campus student, science improves a
way of life but it is humanities that gives a person a reason for
living.
Chen explained, "I can’t just be a student. I have to do other
things. Despite how much pressure there may be at times, it’s what
makes my experience worthwhile. My RA job keeps me in touch with
people, not just molecules. Being able to help and work with other
people is satisfying."
Although a rigid schedule may seem demanding, Chen admitted, "I
like order in my life because I don’t like not knowing. I like to
have some control."