How is time management important for you and why should you learn how to time manage? Keep reading to find the 4 time management tips for students!
As we grow older, it seems like time is running out faster and faster.
This is because we are now responsible for more things in our lives and it is not the easiest when it comes to balancing your life when you have other commitments.
As students, studying is our full-time job whereas co-curricular activities are our side hustle. Not to mention students that study and work at the same time. Hats off you!
So how can you learn how to self manage your time to be able to fit everything you need to do within a period of time?
Time management tips for students
Especially our graduating students, time is tighter and running out faster than you think it is. How do you make full use of your time during your academic year? Continue reading!
1 – Planning ahead
By planning ahead, it means to plan at least 3 months in advance right before your national exams or any major exams.
Planning ahead gives you an overview of what you are going to expect for the upcoming months. It mentally prepares you for the possible stress and tiredness you might experience.
Fret not, because the truth is, with early planning, you will be able to control your life, manage your stress and sleep better.
This is all because you are well aware of your own schedule, own commitments and responsibilities thanks to the power of planning.
Get a planner to time manage better
A planner of any sort that shows you a monthly, weekly and also daily overview will greatly help you to keep track of the tasks you need to complete.
Here are some monthly, weekly and daily planner printables available for download.
Weekly planner
Monthly planner
Monthly planner
Go about your planners by starting on your monthly plan.
Note down all the important dates, these include exam dates, major project submission dates and competitions dates.
These are the dates that you have no choice but to set time aside to complete as these are the essential tasks.
Next, fill in the dates where you need to set time aside for important personal events, such as family’s birthday.
After noting down all the essential dates, now it’s time to see, the blank spaces left on your monthly calendar.
These blank spaces will be filled with your next top priority dates, which are studying/ revisions sessions, tuition lessons and consultation time.
Try to fill up your month with all the required to-do things.
Weekly/ daily planner
Next, moving on to your weekly/daily planner, plan out detailedly what you need to complete that day or that week.
If you wish to be more thorough about the planning, you can even write down the time/ duration you wish to complete the task by.
One important thing to note
Do not overdo your planning.
Planning a 24/7 weekly studying timetable is NOT the way to achieve your academic goals.
As much as we wish to be as effective and efficient, we have to make time for things that are good for our mental health and things that makes us happy.
These things include continuing your exercise routine, going for your favourite piano or dance lessons to relieve stress.
Pushing yourself too hard will burn you out earlier and faster.
Learn to take care of your physical and mental health by still doing the things you enjoy!
2 – Decision making
How do I determine which task has a higher priority? I can’t choose!
Eg:
Task A – going out with your friends
Task B – staying at home to revise for your next week’s test
Ask yourself if you were to execute task A instead of B, how would you feel and why?
Vice versa.
To master the art behind time management, you will need to first be able to control the time and control who and what you are giving your time to.
This also means you need to be able to set the amount of time you are giving to each task and work within the time limit. This way, you will be able to max out your working efficiency.
3 – Be consistent and work diligently
One of the reasons why time management fails is because we are not consistent when it comes to tracking our progress, reviewing our goals and staying on track.
The reason for planning is to make sure we are able to delegate time to do all things that are important in our lives.
You can keep yourself on track by consistently reviewing your goals and to-do lists. You are also free to change up your plan to better suit your studying habits and behavior along the way.
Making a to-do list, and following up on it are two different things though that’s why there are some great task list apps that you can choose from. With an app, you can create your daily, weekly, or monthly to-do lists, set reminders, and keep track of all tasks you’ve completed, and all that needs to be done.
Read also: How to Cultivate Good Study Habits to find out how you can be studying effortlessly once you master how to create positive habits and modify bad habits.
It can be difficult to stay motivated all the time, here’s a good read on how you can increase your productivity level and stay motivated when studying.
Read also: How to increase your productivity level and stay motivated.
4 – Set realistic goals
Breaking your plan into smaller chunks will help you keep going for a longer time. Set a goal for yourself to achieve at the end of every week. Goals such as making sure you complete a past year paper. Of course, don’t forget to reward yourself with something upon completion!
Set goals that are realistic and reachable and you will find yourself doing more than you expect.
Here’s an example of how you can fully utilize your weekly to-do list to complete your tasks.
In a nutshell – time management for students
In the long run, your time managing skills will become better and it will be embodied in your everyday life. It will help to greatly increase your working efficiency and effectiveness as you continue to possess this habit.
These are ultimately only time management tips for students, it only becomes useful when you try out these tips and experience the positive outcome yourself!
Studying should not be a chore for students, of course, there will be days where you will dread, but keep your heads up!
Meanwhile, enjoy your learning journey! You will miss school when it all ends!
Tutopiya wishes you all the best!
