Time Management: Learning to Balance, Prioritize, and Adapt
- JESSIE FELTON
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 8 hours ago
Time management has been one of the most important and transformative skills I developed during my time at Old Dominion University. As a full-time student who also worked close to full-time hours, I had to learn very quickly how to balance academic responsibilities with professional obligations, and do so without sacrificing quality or burning out. This skill didn’t come from a single moment or class. Instead, it grew through hands-on experience, self-reflection, and the constant challenge of managing competing priorities. The development of my time management skills is reflected in two key artifacts: my internship at Chesapeake Bay Steel and my Learning & Actions Paper. Combined with the overall demands of my dual responsibilities, these experiences helped me build strong habits that I’ll carry into my future career in business administration.
The first major turning point in developing this skill came during my internship at Chesapeake Bay Steel, where I worked as an accounting clerk. In this role, I handled accounts payable and receivable, processed invoices, and reconciled various transactions, all while learning and navigating two accounting software systems: Sage and E2. With so many moving parts and deadlines that couldn’t be missed, I had no choice but to get organized and stay on top of my workload. I created tracking systems, used digital tools to manage tasks, and developed a habit of prioritizing responsibilities by urgency and impact. At the same time, I was completing coursework, so I had to make efficient use of every available hour in the day. That experience taught me that time management isn’t just about crossing things off a to-do list, it’s about building repeatable systems that help you meet expectations consistently and without unnecessary stress.
Beyond the logistical skills I gained from that internship, I also realized how important time management is for personal accountability. This became even more clear while writing my Learning & Actions Paper for one of my leadership courses. That assignment required me to take a close look at my own behavior, using concepts like Attribution Theory and self-serving bias. As part of the paper, I developed a personalized action plan that involved journaling, self-monitoring, and intentionally creating space to reflect on decisions. To complete this project well, I had to carve out time for consistent self-reflection, something that was easy to overlook when juggling so much. What I learned through that process is that time management is also about making room for growth. It’s not just about doing more, it’s about making time for the things that matter, like reflecting, improving, and showing up as my best self.
Finally, one of the most important “artifacts” in this reflection isn’t a project at all, it’s the day-to-day experience of being a full-time student while working. Managing both taught me how to plan ahead, set boundaries, and adjust quickly when life didn’t go according to plan. I’ve had to work on group projects after work hours, complete assignments between shifts, and study late at night after long days. That lifestyle pushed me to become more strategic, more resilient, and more intentional with how I use my time. I’ve learned how to recognize when I need to slow down and when I need to push through, and that level of self-awareness is just as valuable as any technical skill I’ve gained.
Taken together, these experiences have shaped time management into one of my most reliable and transferable skills. I now feel confident walking into any workplace where deadlines, multitasking, and organization are essential. I’ve already proven to myself that I can handle pressure, adapt to changing demands, and stay on track without sacrificing quality. These are the skills I’ll continue to build on as I transition into a career in business administration, where efficient planning and follow-through are key to long-term success.
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