The Secret to Managing Time for Students

Time is the most valuable resource for students. Yet, many struggle to manage it effectively. A student’s life involves attending classes, preparing for exams, developing a social life, pursuing interests, and relaxing to de-stress. This busy schedule requires effective management to achieve academic success and balance life. 

Importance of Time Management for Students

To manage time as a student means to take control of life, make it purposeful and stay balanced. By managing time, students can stay focused, productive and happy.

We have limited time in a day to pursue as many things as possible. Thus, it is imperative to learn to manage time as a student. With time management, students can organise their busy schedules to achieve more in less time. As one moves up the classes, they must deal with more subjects, tests, assignments, and extracurricular activities. These added responsibilities require proper time management. 

Time management advice for students: 

Here are some reasons why time management skills for students are essential. 

To accomplish goals faster

Effective time management lets you organise your tasks and put your best efforts into achieving goals faster. 

You can prioritise work

Time management skills for students give clarity on how to prioritise work. You will identify essential tasks that need more attention and put aside non-essential ones. 

Do more in less time

Allotting a specific time for a task keeps you focused, allowing you to achieve more in less time. If not, you will falter at finishing the task or even forget about the task. 

You can reduce academic stress

The best time management advice for students is that you can be stress-free when you manage your time efficiently. You can accomplish more by prioritising important tasks and allocating specific time for them, thus reducing stress.

Become efficient

By mastering time management, you become efficient at every task you do. You will become more focused on the task and achieve more in less time. 

Time Management Skills for Students

Here are some essential time management skills for students that will help achieve success in life. 

Prepare a Calendar

Create a calendar and schedule all your deadlines and class/seminar/exam dates in advance. Include your personal/family commitments, like meeting a friend or attending a function in the calendar. This way, you will know what exactly is coming up in the days ahead and make your time accordingly.

Place the calendar in a place where it is visible to you all the time. Check it first thing in the morning to keep the day’s events fresh in your mind. You do not require a fancy tool; a simple wall calendar is enough to set your agenda.  

Understand and Analyse Your Spent Time

Before you start scheduling your time, it is essential to understand and analyse how you spend your time. Without knowing this, you cannot develop better time management habits. 

Understand and analyse things like: 

• When are you working at your peak potential?
• At what time do you feel tired? 
• When do you perform your chores?

Once you know about your current time spending habits, it will become easy to adjust and schedule your day for efficiency. 

Set Goals

Set actionable and measurable goals. Make a list of short-term and long-term goals that will bring you academic success. Schedule the necessary work to achieve these goals in your calendar.  

Learn to Say No

Be it parental pressure, peer group insistence or teacher dominance, students tend to accept every task that comes their way. Accepting every task eats into your time and drains your energy. Thus, students must learn to say no and be firm with the decision. It helps you keep up with your schedule and achieve your priorities. 

Prioritise the Tasks

Not all tasks need your complete attention. For example, an assignment submission due in a month can wait over a seminar competition that happens in two days. Analyse your tasks thoroughly and prioritise them based on urgency.

Prioritise simple tasks that are easy to finish first and allot dedicated time for tasks that require your complete focus. By checking off some tasks, a positive feedback loop kicks in, and your brain tends to work efficiently. 

Use Time Blocking Strategy

Time blocking strategy, often suggested by the famous Elon Musk, is an effective time management technique for students. You divide the day into time blocks and perform specific tasks daily on that particular time block. For example, if 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm is your time for homework, then do only homework every day in that time block. This strategy helps remove distractions and helps the brain focus on the tasks ahead. 

Make Time For Relaxation 

Time management is not all about work. As the stresses of academics get to you, you need to make time for relaxation. Schedule free time for exercise, book reading, or any other hobby that will relieve your stress and balance your mental health.   

Be Flexible With Schedules

In any given day, emergency situation may occur or you may not be able to finish the tasks on time. If things do not go as planned, be patient and do not get frustrated. The schedule you prepared need not be cast in stone. Make it flexible in such a way that you account for unforeseen incidents and ready a buffer time to finish pending tasks. 

In this hour of heavy competition, time management skills for students is a must to accomplish tasks, achieve goals and attain success. 

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