Studies have shown that the average "prep time" for a class is 2-3 hours a week for every hour spent in class. This means taking 15-credits will require in the range of 45 - 60 hours a week to attend class and keep up with assignments and studying. This work load is more than a full-time job. In addition to study requirements, extra-curricular activities, work and family demands, there is barely time left for leisure activities. Time is a precious commodity, and managing it is a major concern for nearly everyone. Time management helps students to meet deadlines and to be responsible. It helps them fit all the different pieces of their life together and complete class assignments and projects on time without denying themselves a social life, recreational activities, or other things that are important to them.

For a student, managing time has its own special twists and turns that have to be negotiated. Nearly every student experiences having more than one final exam scheduled for the same morning or afternoon, or having two class projects due on the same day. Those things will happen, and time management techniques will help the students for those events they can foresee, and cope with those they cannot.