During the last stretch of the school semester at the College of Lake County, when all of the final assignments and exams are due, time management is an essential and necessary skill for both students and faculty members.

Recently, CLC’s Phi Theta Kappa presented on the topic via Zoom to aid its members and give them the motivation to end the semester strongly.

Michele Nelson, an English professor at the college, has been involved with the club– primarily as its advisor– for around five years, dedicated to helping students grow into leaders. Nelson and PTK officers settled on this event during one of their weekly officer meetings.

“We thought that this month, due to all the busy-ness that’s common to the end of the semester, we would offer a session on time management,” Nelson said.

Faculty members Laura Ruiz and Frankie Bataz, academic success advisors and coaches at CLC, volunteered to present during the meeting. The two of them collaborated on bringing a valuable, current, and interactive workshop for students.

The presentation included an icebreaker activity, videos, breakout rooms, questions and brainstorming, tips and steps for success, and advice for final exams.

The key to time management, Bataz and Ruiz believe, is to prioritize balance.

“As students or as a staff member, we have a lot of things to do, but it all depends how we spend our time that can help us to check things off our list,” Bataz said.

Bataz and Ruiz asked students to analyze their schedules and identify times they could allow work/leisure time while also applying the tips mentioned in their preparation for finals.

“Our priorities and organizational skills need tweaking from time to time. What we do now, or have done in the past might not be suitable for every stage of our life [or] every class,” Ruiz said.

Bataz and Ruiz encourage all students to strive for excellence during these last couple of weeks.

“Now is the time to make a plan of action, like a study schedule to better prepare for end of semester assignments, projects, and exams. You have made it this far, so don’t give up now,” Bataz said.

This presentation was simply one out of all of PTK’s contributions to the college’s community.

They continuously advocate for helping students become successful leaders and scholars during their monthly meetings.

“Our member meetings are open to all students and focus on leadership, transfer, scholarship applications, volunteering, job search, etc.,” Nelson said.

Even throughout the pandemic, the group has found ways to give back to the community in many ways, including distributing food at food drives, volunteering at shelters, and even spreading valuable information about the recent census and election.

Nelson and officers work hard to support students throughout their scholarly endeavors and pursuits, and they hope to be a role model and a reliable source for information.

“We would like our members and all CLC students to feel they are leaders,” Nelson said.