Freshmen who were at Penn State for the Summer Session have voiced the importance of managing time at the college level.

Managing time has emerged as one of the most beneficial pieces of advice to freshmen in order to be successful in college.

Time management is one of the many keys to opening a door to an easy transition from high school into the new world of college.

With all the new responsibilitiesa and freesoms incoming freshmen are bombarded with, Resident Assistant Leah White (senior-special education) said managing time is the No. 1 priority.

Without it, she said, freshmen won't make it.

"Keep priorities straight," she said.

White suggests freshmen get a calendar to keep track of what is important on a daily basis.

Set goals for things that need to be done and schedule times and dates to do them, she said.

At University Park, the numerous academic and social activities can make it easy to get behind.

"You are on your own to do work and decide what needs to be done and what doesn't," Don Harrison (freshman-business) said.

Most freshmen will find that they have more free time at Penn State than they did in high school because most college students are only in class less than six hours a day.

It is important to make free time useful, White said.

When managing time, it is essential to balance academics, social life and personal matters. There is a lot that needs to be incorporated in an effective and efficient time management plan, she said.

Also, White said it is also important to get an adequate amount of sleep, eat right and socialize.

Schoolwork is the No. 1 priority of Adam Balsinger (freshman-business).

"Make sure you make time to study every day so you don't fall behind," Balsinger said.

Freshmen who have begun their college careers during the Summer Session said college is a completely unlike high school.

In high school, everything is planned out with mandatory times to study, both in and out of school, Balsinger said. Motivation is the key to managing time efficiently, he added.

The progress and work done by college students is not monitored by anyone on a day-to-day basis.

"There are people in high school to keep you in check," Megan Sheridan (freshman-communications) said. "Managing time is vitally important because the things that need to get accomplished won't."

Being busy is normal in college.

"You always have something to do," Harrison said.