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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."

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