24 hours, 1,440 minutes, and 86,400 seconds. That’s the amount of time every human being on this planet gets in a day. However, the end result greatly depends on how the individuals manage their time. And speaking of time, students need plenty of it, which brings us today to this article, which will explain the importance of time management for students and some effective time management tips for students.
Being a student in today’s time is not an easy job to do. You’re crushed by all those unfinished assignments and projects, you’ve got those school club meetings, there are your music and dance rehearsal, and your to-do list goes on and on and on. Meanwhile, those 24 hours never seem to be enough. Consequently, you wish there was more time in the world.
But, what if I told you, all those things are possible without even adding a single second to your day. Since time is your problem, you can simply overcome it with time management. So, without further ado, here are the 7 Time management Tips for Students to help you with your time problem.
Time Management Tips for Students
1. Make a master schedule
This is perhaps the most fundamental and founding time management strategy for students. Firstly, take a minute off, and make a list of all the things you need to do in a day. Secondly, allocate the estimated time required for those tasks.
And finally, create a master schedule and list all those tasks and required time to finish them in your schedule. As a result, this will allow you to see the picture of your whole day and will act as a blueprint of your day.
2. Eliminate the distractions
As I said earlier, it’s not easy to be a student in the 21st century. Among friends, social media, TV, there are a whole lot of things that can divert your attention from getting things done.
So, when it’s time to do your work, avoid all those things that distract you and waste your time. For instance, you can turn off your phone or be far away from people, or anything that’s preventing you from your goal.
3. Start small
This is one of the first things that I suggest not only to students but to everyone who has trouble with time management. The trick is to start your day by doing those small and short tasks which are easy and fast to complete. When you begin with those small chores and then move on to larger assignments, it helps you in two ways.
First, you complete those tasks in a short time, which will make you feel you’re getting things done. Second, you don’t become overwhelmed since you don’t have the pressure of those small tasks anymore.
4. One thing at a time
When it comes to time management, students have this idea that doing multiple things at a time will save them time. But, what they don’t know is that they get tired and unproductive by multitasking.
According to research, those who multitask repeatedly saw a drop in their IQ similar to someone who didn’t sleep the night before. So, don’t try to do many things in a single shot.
5. Procrastinate procrastinating
Wait, what? Doesn’t that basically mean to procrastinate again? Yes, you’re right, it does. What I mean to say is stop procrastinating. Meaning, avoid putting off your work for the next hour or the next day. In the words of Nike, “Just Do It” today.
When you procrastinate on one task, it eventually leads you to delay another of your tasks, too, which is the last thing you want to do in your mission of time management.
5. Use breaks wisely
I know I said in one of the above points not to do multiple things at once. However, that doesn’t mean do nothing when you’re taking a break. A typical person sees a break as merely a period when you take a rest for all your break time. On the other hand, a smart person sees it as an opportunity to take advantage of that break and turn it into another of his work hours. That is to say, whenever you get a break, don’t spend all of it doing nothing. Instead, use those extra time into doing your unfinished task.
7. Take some time off
We are humans, not robots; we can’t work for hours and not get tired.
Recent research has shown that studying for a long time without taking a break in between can have a serious impact on your mental health. Matter of fact, you’re not doing yourself a favor or saving time by working on one thing for too long. It’s important to take time for yourself, too. Therefore, taking short breaks after a long study session is a very good example of an effective time management strategy.
Also Read: Top 7 Key Steps of the Decision-Making Process That You Must Follow
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
What are 7 time management tips for students?
- Make a master schedule
- Eliminate the distractions
- Start small
- Do one thing at a time
- Stop procrastinating
- Use breaks wisely
- Take some time off
Is time management important for students?
Effective time management allows students to complete more in less time because their attention is focused and they’re not wasting time on distractions (such as social media, for example. Efficient use of time also reduces stress, as students tick off items from their to-do list.
Why do students struggle with time management?
Let’s face it; time management for students is a universal problem. One reason that time management is difficult is due to the planning fallacy something that occurs when people underestimate how long it will take to finish a task, even if they have done the task before.
What causes poor time management?
Procrastination is often labeled as poor time management, but it should be labeled as poor motivation management instead. The truth is, people, don’t procrastinate on stuff they like to do. But no calendar, planner, or time management app will help if a lack of motivation is the root cause of your poor time management.
What are the benefits of time management?
- Deliver work on time
- Provide a better quality of work
- More productivity and efficiency
- Much less procrastination
- Less stress and anxiety
- More opportunities and career growth
- More time for leisure and recreation