There is a big problem that has plagued college campuses for years. Every student has been affected by this issue, and there is no real way to avoid it. This problem is time management. Time management is a set of practices people use in order to effectively use their time and get the most value out of it. Making lists, using a planner, and creating a schedule are all effective time management techniques. However, not every student actually uses these techniques to organize their time. Gareth Burghes, 18, is a freshman at Stony Brook who relies heavily on his planner to organize his time. “If I didn’t have my planner I would not get anything done or even know what had to be done,” he said. A marine sciences major and theater minor Burghes is taking 15 credits this semester. He has also spent most of this semester working on Pocket Theater’s “The Children’s Hour,” which he directed. Outside factors such as jobs, parties, social networking websites, and other distractions affect the amount of time students have to dedicate to their schoolwork. Sophomore Yuri Pereira, 20, admitted to having problems managing his time. He also admitted to his social life affecting his grades. “Who doesn’t love to party once in a while?” he said with a laugh. “Unfortunately, I’ve been doing a little too much partying and my grades are suffering because of it.” According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, students spend an average of 3.2 hours each weekday doing educational activities as opposed to 3.9 hours for leisure activities. There are many different websites that offer time management strategies and techniques, but there is a question of how many students actually use these websites. Some colleges even offer workshops or seminars to teach students how to organize their time properly, so that raises the question of whether or not Stony Brook should implement something that would help students learn these techniques. Burghes said he thinks Stony Brook should start a program that would help teach effective time management skills. “If they decided to put a workshop in the dorms or add it to something that would appeal to students, I think it would work,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be something mandatory, but they should have some sort of access to learning how to manage your time.” Sophomore J.R. Yussuf shares his view. “I definitely think there should be something that teaches time management,” he said. “I think students who are serious about their work and who really feel they have a problem with time management would attend even if it is not mandatory. “But, here at Stony Brook,” he continued. “I think the best teacher is experience because you can always learn from your mistakes.” Pereira is definitely learning from his mistakes, as he is now beginning to pay more attention to his studies as the end of the semester approaches. “Now that finals are coming up I have to focus more on my schoolwork and less on parties,” he said. “It’s not as fun, but it’s what I need to do.”