Seniors Inspired to Become Better Stewards of Their Time

Emily DeVos Business ClassIt’s a challenge, not only for busy college students but for families, businesses, and anyone trying to organize their plethora of papers, possessions, and appointments.

To help Trinity seniors purge and organize their assignments and even their dorm rooms as they work through their last months of the first semester and anticipate the start of their final semester, alumna Emily (DeVos) Smith ’04 shared tips with students on November 10.

Smith, a professional organizer, was a business major and communication arts minor. After graduation from Trinity, she accepted a position in the College’s development office. This year she left that role to start her business Simplify with Smith.

Smith stressed being a good steward of time and setting goals as much as she stressed organizing homework assignments.

“Setting goals is so important,” she said to students in the senior seminar class led by Dr. Sherry Barnes, professor of communication arts. “How many people are on autopilot, no matter what stage of life they’re in? Is this how God wants us to live?”

Some of the tips Smith shared included:

  1. Write down goals and set deadlines for each.
  2. Keep one calendar. Some phone calendars sync to online calendars like Outlook.
  3. Time block. Keep track of everything done in a day, and color code activities to see where time is being spent and possibly wasted.
  4. Make a to-do list in the evening prior instead of the morning of.
  5. Schedule the most difficult tasks for the most high energy points of the day.

Inspired, many students put Smith’s advice into practice right after class.

“I organized my desk and made a to-do list,” said Ashley Veurink ’12 of Corsica, South Dakota. “After only two days of using the list, I notice that I have a stronger sense of control over my day. I’m amazed at the peace that single piece of paper brings me.”