Time management for students (and everyone else) is about being purposeful with your day. It’s about taking control of how you are utilizing time for productivity, focus, and in particular, balance. In today’s busy world, time management skills for college students are increasingly important. While you would possibly be looking for an easier era when time appeared to move more slowly, the realities of participation in contemporary western society requires students to possess skills in efficiency and productivity.
Charles Darwin, best known for his contributions to the science of evolution once said, “A man who dares to waste an hour of life has not discovered the worth of life.” Definitely, time is the key to success. It is an undeniable truth that every living being into existence has a limited span of time; the only difference being that some have a more while some have a little less than others. The ultimate purpose of life is not to be happy.
Follow these few time management tips and strategies to ensure that you meet deadlines, are well prepared for exams, and have time for yourself.
- Set goals and keep distractions aside: It’s almost impossible to use time well if you don’t know what to do with it. Students should determine their short- and long-term goals. It’s easy to get distracted. Pay attention to what draws your focus away from your studies and assignments. No matter what is wasting your time, set a goal to not engage in that behavior during dedicated study time. Instead, use those activities as a reward for staying focused and accomplishing the tasks you had planned to finish.
- Set your priorities straight: By assessing what needs to be achieved within a given time frame, tasks can be rated according to their importance. Setting priorities for every day, week, month and year can help students accomplish their goals. Some people prefer prioritizing easy tasks while others prefer starting with the challenging, tough ones. In case, you are up to a number of things in your life, your first step must be to organize them. Categorize your goals on the different primary areas of your life: a goal for your work or business, another for health etc.
- Tackle Small Tasks to Start: It’s easy to get overwhelmed by large projects and big exams, and the anxiety can make you want to procrastinate. Start with shorter, simpler to-do items and then move on to larger projects or assignments.
- Self-assess your tasks: Learning how to do a weekly review is one of the best time management habits for you to develop. Examine your weekly performance, be satisfied with your achievements and scold yourself for your mistakes. Remember, you are your best teacher. Always keep in mind that there’s only one thing more precious than our time and that’s who we spend it on. Never mistake your movement for achievement. Realize the value of your time and make the best out of this one birth granted to you.
- Managing stress: Nobody performs at their peak under excessive stress. Students need healthy ways to manage the pressures of study while maintaining productivity. Getting enough sleep and exercising are all great ways to stay fresh and focused and make learning more efficient. Many scholars have studied the effects of meditation and yoga on reducing effects of stress.
- Establish Routines: A set routine can also help you accomplish the things you need to do. Is your productivity and energy greatest in the early morning or late at night? You should get into the habit of regularly utilizing that time to revise or read. The more often you do this, the less you’ll have to think about when you’ll accomplish the tasks you need to finish that day.
- Take regular breaks: A scientific fact proves that a human brain can concentrate for only 17 minutes in one go. Sitting in front of a laptop or keeping your books opened, while your mind is in an altogether different world, would make no sense. It’s important to take time for yourself. Long study sessions or chunks of time working on assignments should be broken up with time away from screens or textbooks. You need to give your mind a rest. When you rush from one task to another without taking any breaks, it is difficult to appreciate your efforts of sitting continuously on the desk. Between tasks, choose a brisk walk, meditate, do something which will rejuvenate you.
Following these few tips and strategies will enable you to not only manage your time effectively, but also enable you to gain self confidence and reduce stress levels.
Keep Shining !
Also published on Medium.