For the Students, By the Students: Leadership and Advocacy at NCAT RAnia brown

Journalism Students Experiment With Time Management Hacks to Combat Digital Distraction

By Rania Brown

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Finding time to accomplish tasks is becoming more difficult for college students. Some students at North Carolina A&T State University (A&T), for example, are taking full course loads while working one or more jobs. On top of that, many hours of the day are consumed by social media.

Confronted with time pressures—and the stress and anxiety that come with them—journalism students at A&T experimented with a variety of time management tools designed to help them be more productive in a world where 24 hours never seem like enough.

Addressing the Attention Crisis

Journalism professor Kim Smith noted that outside factors directly impact classroom performance. Smith pointed to the widespread distraction posed by digital platforms. “The classroom—students are distracted by platforms like YouTube and Instagram, which makes it harder for them to complete work or meet deadlines,” Smith said.

Recent data support this concern. A 2015 Microsoft study suggested that Gen Z’s attention span had declined to just eight seconds, an issue largely attributed to increased time on electronic devices. More recently, a study by Intelligent.com revealed that missing deadlines was among the top reasons young workers are fired shortly after being hired, underscoring the need for better time skills.

The Experiment: Changing Habits in Real-Time

The assignment was a practical approach to time management, requiring students to create a “Not-to-Do List,” test two time-management techniques, and keep a diary of their progress.

Students selected techniques from a provided list. Two of the most popular hacks were Time Blocking and the 2-Minute Rule. Time Blocking is a time management method where you divide your day into specific blocks of time, dedicating each block to a specific task or group of tasks. Instead of keeping an open-ended to-do list, you create a concrete schedule that outlines what you will work on and when. Secondly, the 2-Minute Rule, popularized by productivity consultant David Allen, is simple: If a task takes two minutes or less to complete, do it immediately.

Shia Rozier found that small structural changes offered big benefits, even while traveling. “Little changes like packing and unpacking in advance did help with time management,” Rozier noted. “And time blocking helped me with structuring what my day should look like with wakeup times and leaving times.” However, Rozier also learned the importance of self-compassion, saying, “I think a big tool I have to give myself sometimes is grace.”

Olivia Stokes entered the experiment determined to change reactive behavior. “This week, I want to get better at being intentional with my time instead of just reacting to everything last minute,” Stokes shared. “With Time Blocking, I hope to plan out my days better, especially during all the events of GHOE.”

Immediate Wins and Positive Reinforcement

Students found success by applying techniques in short windows of time. Nyasia Bizzell noted how she successfully leveraged the 2-Minute Rule to make quick progress. “I used the time between this class yesterday and my next class to complete the first discussion board, and it felt really good to get it out of the way,” Bizzell said.

Other students found success by structuring their day and incorporating positive reinforcement. Bizzell continued to explain, “Yesterday I did not do much homework, however I did block out a portion of time to complete one assignment and knock that off of my to do list. Instead I was productive in other ways such as cleaning my room, to set myself up for the best experience possible to then complete work today... I am also rewarding myself for completing this block of assignments with a cheesecake from Savor the Moment Bakery.”

Time-Management Hacks: Tools for Success

The students' positive results suggest that, even amidst a sea of digital distractions, simple, practical strategies can make a significant difference in a student's ability to focus and meet deadlines. The time management strategies the students tested include:

• Time Blocking
• The 2 Minute Rule
• Creating a Not-To-Do List
• Establishing morning routines
• Setting aside "me time"
• Practicing reward systems

By incorporating intentional structure and immediate action into their daily routines, these journalism students are learning that managing their time is as critical as managing their studies, setting them up for greater productivity and reduced anxiety in college and their future careers.

The Compromised Degree: Inside the Hidden Costs of NCAT's Campus Housing Strain

By Rania Brown

The Hidden Tax of Time on Campus Access

GREENSBORO, N.C. — CAMRYN MORGAN, a sophomore, doesn't dread his 9:30 a.m. class; he dreads the parking war that precedes it. He lives just across the street in one of NCAT’s on campus apartments, but as one of the thousands of NCAT students who must drive to campus, he begins his daily grind by surrendering a massive block of time just to secure a spot.

He paid $256 for his annual parking permit, but that fee doesn't guarantee convenience; it only buys him the right to participate in the daily scramble. "I budget a minimum of 30 minutes, and a maximum of 45, just to find parking," Camryn says.

This time tax—up to four hours of unpaid, stressful circling per week—is Camryn’s personal sacrifice to maintain his academic schedule. Once, the search was so fruitless he had to abandon his car far from his destination. "I was late to class like once," he recalls. "I had to park at the Suites and then I walked all the way to Marteena Hall."

Camryn demonstrates remarkable resilience, noting, "It doesn't really bother me, I'm pretty non-chalant, it isn't a big deal." However, this forced resignation—the necessity to absorb a 45-minute buffer into an already busy schedule—is the hidden cost itself. That time lost to the parking battle is time that cannot be spent studying, working, or engaging in campus life.

Camryn’s struggle is a symptom of a larger problem: NCAT's explosive growth has outpaced its housing capacity, turning the struggle for a safe, stable, and accessible place to live into a severe, hidden tax on students' financial, academic, and mental well-being.

Where Demand Overruns the Dorms

NCAT is the nation's largest public historically Black college and university (HBCU), a point of immense pride, but the rapid growth has created a critical infrastructure deficit that directly impacts student life.

• The Enrollment Surge: NCAT's enrollment has climbed past 15,000 students—a record high according to the university's Fall 2025 census.
• The Housing Gap: The university provides on-campus housing for approximately 6,000 beds. This leaves over 9,000 students competing for limited, and often expensive, off-campus options in Greensboro, based on data provided in the 2024-2025 Student Handbook and university announcements.

While on-campus rooms average between $550–$775 per month over the academic year, the off-campus reality is often much higher, demanding deposits, utilities, and furniture. Average one-bedroom apartment rents in the Greensboro area hover around $1,200 per month, and private student apartments can range from $650 to over $850 per person, per month.

This forced financial leap requires students to make compromises that threaten their academic careers.

The Financial Tether: Rent Over Resilience

For ASHLEY MOMO, a sophomore who lives in an off-campus apartment around the UNCG campus, the cost of housing is a direct conflict with her education. Her monthly rent and utility bill sits at a hefty $850, due on the first of the month. Ashley was unable to secure on-campus housing due to capacity limits. She shares her apartment with two other roommates to mitigate costs, but rent is still significant. 

"College housing would be included in the tuition, making the cost of each month cheaper than what I have to pay now," Ashley explains. The financial pressure is immediate: 60-70% of her monthly income from her job is dedicated entirely to rent and housing expenses.

"Yes, the reason I have my job is to pay for rent," she confirms. "I don’t have much money left for myself to spend on extras."

Ashley works at least 20 hours a week while taking a full course load of 15 credits, and that schedule dictates her academic life. She's been forced to prioritize the paycheck over the classroom. "I have been late to class and had to leave class early in order to be on time for work in order to make the money that is needed for my rent."

The stress is constant, eroding her focus on homework and studying. She has had to cut back on clothing, parties, and dining expenses just to afford rent and groceries. "The stress this year is much more difficult than last year because last year I had on campus housing and was working to make money for extras," Ashley notes. "This year I’m working to ensure that I have a place to live... so that pressure can sometimes be stressful and distract me when I try to focus on other important things."

Instability and the High Cost of Safety

The highest hidden cost of off-campus housing is the lack of stability and the threat to a student’s well-being. This became a harrowing reality for one sophomore student who wished to remain anonymous. The student began the semester in a shared on-campus apartment, but the stability quickly evaporated when her roommate's guest escalated the living situation into a crisis.

"The roommate's guest had thrown threats around to those within the house with a known weapon on the premises," the student recounts. "I didn’t feel safe anymore and my roommates didn’t see an issue with what was happening. So for my safety and peace of mind I moved out."

The student was left feeling exposed and isolated. "I felt like I was the only one in the house with common sense," she says. The mental and emotional burden of securing a safe space while taking classes was immediate and draining.

Even in an emergency, finding resolution was an exhausting battle.The experience forced the student to interact with NCAT Housing and campus staff. "There were a few staff who told me that it wasn’t guaranteed I would be able to move anywhere, which was not only disappointing to hear but appalling," she states. "Student safety should take precedent no matter what."

The experience is a stark example of the ultimate hidden cost: when the stress of instability is so high that it blocks the path to success. "It made it very difficult to want to leave my home to go to class. But at the end of the day I came here for my degree so I’m gonna move past anything that may be blocking my way to get there." 

University Response

Efforts were made to reach NCAT Office of Media Relations for comment on the issues of housing cost, parking strain, and student safety procedures.

Despite the lack of an immediate statement, the university is actively working to mitigate the long-term housing deficit. A significant new residence hall project, the 415-bed Bluford Hall, is currently scheduled for completion in Spring 2026. This construction project is part of a broader, multi-year strategy to increase on-campus capacity, though the completion date means the immediate burden remains on current students.

The Way Forward: Demanding Stability

As NCAT looks to the future, with planned residence halls, the immediate burden remains on the students.

The university provides an outstanding education, but for thousands of Aggies, the foundation of that education is shaky. Students like Camryn, Ashley, and the anonymous sophomore are not struggling with academics; they are struggling with logistics, finance, and anxiety imposed by a broken housing system.

The true cost of the NCAT housing strain is not merely the rent check; it is the compromise of the student's dream and the academic opportunity the university promises. Until the housing supply catches up to Aggie Pride, students will continue to pay that hidden, life-altering price.