I like going to school. I enjoy it even more now than when I was a teenager. I don’t know if the difference is that as a teenager I had to go and now I want to go, but it is something I really enjoy doing.

During a recent coffee break with my neighbor she asked how I possibly had the time to go to college.

I paused for a moment because I had that same question when I filled out my college application. Will I be able to make this work? Will I be able to finish a semester? My answer was simple: yes, with time management.

I’m a busy person. I’m up early, every morning, just like when I was in boot camp and out the door before the sun rises. Throughout the day I’m in and out of the house as I run errands. How does college fit in?

I scheduled my classes to fit with my daily routine. After I drop my children at school in the morning, I head to campus for class and I’m home to pick them up on time. Between my classes I catch up on homework and studying.

It’s also great to have a helping hand like my husband who picks the children up when I need him to.

I have to shift my time management strategy when he is deployed. I always keep his schedule in mind as I register for classes. You definitely don’t want to register for a class that may cause you to miss another event, such as picking up your children, without having a back-up plan in place.

Managing a busy schedule can seem difficult. This is how you begin. Sit down and make a chart of your daily routine, listing everything according to time, when you start, stop and how often. Look for your free blocks of time: are you free in the mornings, the afternoon, or the evening?

Then, schedule your classes during those free times. Don’t have free time? Skip the on-campus classes and take online courses instead. This can make your schedule a little more flexible since your daily log in is generally done at your convenience rather than at a set time.

Also, make a plan with your spouse. Before I registered for classes, I checked my husband’s work schedule and his availability to pick up the kids if needed and watch them while I study.

Time management is one of the most important tools you have to build a successful college career. And, the time management skills you learn can help streamline all your daily routines and goals.