Time Management Ability among Student Activists in Campus Organizations: A Descriptive Study of the Student Executive Board at Universitas Sanata Dharma

Abstract

This study aimed to describe the time management ability of Student Executive Board (BEM) activists at Sanata Dharma University, both overall and based on each aspect of time management according to Macan et al.'s (1990) theory, namely setting goals and priorities, mechanics of time management, perceived control of time, and preference for disorganization. It also aimed to identify items showing suboptimal achievement, as a basis for developing guidance and counseling services for student activists. This descriptive quantitative study involved 30 BEM activists selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a Time Management Ability Questionnaire; of 69 items tested, 56 were valid, with a Cronbach's Alpha of 0.731. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics based on a norm-referenced approach. Results showed that time management ability was generally at a moderate level (76.67%). The setting goals and priorities and perceived control of time aspects showed relatively good achievement, while mechanics of time management showed the lowest achievement, mainly due to frequent unplanned organizational activities. Preference for disorganization showed the highest achievement, indicating that organizational involvement trains students to work more systematically. These findings indicate that BEM activists possess a basic time management ability that still requires development, particularly in the technical aspects of schedule management, in order to balance academic and organizational demands more effectively