With having to write essays on various topics, with never-ending home assignments and side projects, with part-time jobs and social life to take into account, there is hardly anyone who needs to manage time more wisely than your average student does. If you have trouble finding time for everything you have to do, these tips are for you.
1. List Everything You Have to Do
It may look self-evident, but if you want to manage your time effectively, you need to have a list of everything you have to do with deadlines for each task. Many students don’t keep tabs on their assignments and other responsibilities, and it always comes as a surprise to them when they become piled down a dozen assignments to be submitted on the same day.
2. First Things First
As Stephen Covey used to say, the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. When you plan your day (or week, or month), set aside time for the most important activities first. That is, if you have an important essay to write, do it first, before you assign time to other, less crucial activities. This way you will not only make sure you always complete the most significant parts of your work, but also curtail time spent on less important things.
3. Create a Schedule
It may be a timetable to hang on a wall, or a daily planner, a calendar app or something else – the format doesn’t matter. The idea is, unless you have a tool that allows you to keep track of your time and plan your activities ahead, you have no control over your life and your time.
4. Make Use of Waiting
People tend to spent inordinate amounts of time on things like waiting, walking, using public transportation – things that don’t require one’s complete attention. If you make point of preparing to them, this time can be efficiently used as extra studying time. Keep a textbook to read while waiting, get audiobooks with information on your subject to listen to while walking and so on.
5. Review Your Schedule
Do you manage to follow it? Is it effective for organizing your time? Make regular reviews of your plans and decide whether they need to be changed or tweaked to better reflect current situation.
6. Exercise
You won’t do yourself much good if you try to study for many hours in a row – attention gets dull, memory fuzzy, you get irritated and tired. Instead, cut time into chunks of 45-60 minutes interspersed with short periods of rest, preferably involving physical activity to keep yourself alert.
7. Maintain a Constant Tempo
Keep your workload constant. Periodical surges and slumps won’t do your studies much good: many students cram before exams and laze off for the rest of time. Don’t be like them: create a schedule and stick to it. It will help you maintain a healthy balance and avoid burnout.
Time spent organizing your workload is time well spent. If you follow these simple time management tips, you will be able to get done what you never managed to cram into your life before.