In this essay, I will talk about my academic skills journey. To achieve my goals, I must develop my strengths and know my weaknesses. Additionally, I will focus on a major skill that any student wishing to pursue a career in the criminology and criminal justice sector will need to acquire; time management skills. To work in the criminal justice system, self-directed learning is necessary. All research must be carried out with self-discipline. Becoming overworked and stressed over deadlines leads to distraction and failure. For this reason, planning your time wisely means being a good criminology practitioner (Fink and Fafinski, 2012). Therefore, this essay is about my journey which should be followed in the coming years in order to improve my future professional skills. First, this essay will examine the importance of developing time management skills. Second, it will focus on my previous experiences and why I need to address this concern. Time management was an area I struggled with at the beginning of my college year. The essay will explain the steps I took to use my time successfully. I will also reflect on the effectiveness of the actions I have taken. Additionally, it will also look at what other actions I need to take to resolve these issues and meet the SMART criteria. Time is a resource that everyone has in common when it comes to college, work, or social life. Everyone, from time to time, struggles to acquire everything quickly. Whether it's paperwork, homework or dates, in order to demonstrate professionalism in daily life, it is necessary to have time management skills...... middle of paper ... ...all attempts to address my concerns regarding time management skills. Now, in the end, I feel like I have received so much support from so many people and I will be ashamed if I fail to show a big improvement in my ability to manage time. However, I believe the only way to succeed is to keep practicing. I learned that I always need a well-structured action plan to be calculated and solve problems calmly and seriously. Additionally, I have to constantly reflect on my mistakes so that I can avoid them in the future. The world of work needs competent people who can use transferable academic skills to convince employers. There is a long way to go to meet employers' expectations and this is not possible without the professionalism of your work. Some people ruin their chances of finding a job by not planning their time effectively (Burns and Sinfield)., 2012).