We’ve all been there before. Red-rimmed eyes, limbs quivering from caffeine buzz, we're reading but not comprehending, writing but not communicating anything intelligible. It is the last minute panic that forces us to stay up all night studying or working. It’s my personal opinion that this is not a result of too much work, but rather poor time-management skills.

Of all the disparities among people in the world, there’s one thing of which everyone has the exact same allotment—hours in a day. The equalities, however, end there. Though we all have the same amount of time every day, some people are forced to cram a lot more into it. Some students here may take only a few credits and don’t work, while others take a full course schedule, work full-time, and are also raising a family.

It’s probably not that we don’t have enough time—there will always be someone who is doing more than you. It’s a matter of managing time adequately. Procrastination is an unfortunate habit we all share. But what exactly is it that we find so distracting?

Television is perhaps the most wicked invention. I love it, but I hate it. It’s something that can truly destroy time. Sure, people claim there are good things on television—the news, the educational channels—but in all honesty, few of us are directing the bulk of our hours of blank staring to these nobler art forms. I cringe to think about how much of my valuable brain space is taken up by trivial details of sitcoms rather than practical facts I attempt to learn in my classes. This is only one of many distractions. Our advanced communication can also prove as a hindrance in saving us time. For example, it takes the average worker about 30 minutes to get back on task after being distracted by an e-mail or phone call.

I think that along with all the timesaving aspects of technology come a greater number of distractions that make getting things done more challengin. If we could only harness the efficiency of modern technology while still utilizing the 24 hours we have every day! I’ll figure it out for myself eventually, but right now I need to answer my cell.