No matter what year, major or even school you’re attending, time management is a skill that almost every student struggles with.

As a college student, juggling class, homework, extracurricular activities and work all take huge amounts of time. In order to be successful, one must manage their time accordingly, in order to be as productive as possible. For others, time management has to be a necessity, as they have higher obligations that ensure that each student is productive.

For junior Austin Butler – who plays wide receiver for Millikin University’s football team – although time can slip away from all of us, it’s still important that it is managed.

“Time management is very important, because if you have poor time management chances are your grades are going to slip, because of how busy you are with your sport,” said Butler.

When not busy with both on and off-season conditioning, general practices during the season or busy participating or traveling to and from games, Butler’s time must be managed accordingly, to adhere both to his studies as well as his team.

Because all members of Millikin University’s football team must have grades that are high enough so they can participate in football, Butler has to make sure that all of his studies are done because if his studies were left unfinished due to a lack of time, he could become ineligible and wouldn’t be able to play for the team, thereby affecting his teammates. Although Butler does understand the importance of good time management, he himself has had his own trouble with managing his time efficiently.

During an interview conducted with Butler, when asked about whether or not he manages his time well, Butler said, “Sometimes I could manage my time better. I get distracted and the struggle between doing homework and getting sleep, it seems sleeping always wins.”

Because being a student athlete requires not only practice, but also early morning lifting and conditioning and sometimes meetings that the athletes must attend, the balance of being studious versus being well rested can be a great challenge. For Butler, as well as numerous other students and athletes at Millikin University, the struggle between getting enough homework done and getting enough rest can be a great challenge. However, although every student struggles at times between getting schoolwork done and getting rest, Butler understands that it’s important to stay on top of every priority.

According to Butler, “The best way to stay on top of things is to plan your days out ahead of time; schedule time for your homework and free time in your days.”

Indeed, this is exceptionally important, not just for student athletes, but for every college student. Planning out when to complete tasks during the day sets a schedule and helps students stay on priority. Although, in order to make sure that there’s a chance for peace of mind, it’s also important to schedule some free time.