Time management skills will keep you from wasting time, and they will help you to get more done in less time. Read on for our essential guide to help you make the most of it.
College students are often juggling a lot of different things at once. From classes and homework to extracurricular activities and socializing, it can be hard to find time for everything. And while it may seem like there are enough hours in the day to get everything done, the reality is that most students could benefit from better time management skills.
KEY POINTS
Every sound time management system starts with clarity on two primary areas: how much time is available and what needs to be done.
Students need to get a reality check about how much time they REALLY have in their week to focus on schoolwork by taking out a weekly calendar and blocking out school hours, meal times, activities, commute time around each activity, and bedtime.
Studying takes effort and concentration, but many students are distracted while studying which leads them to waste time and not learn effectively. To increase focus while studying: know how long you will study for; put the phone in another room; avoid music with words; take breaks; have a plan; put yourself in the right environment.
If you go through the exercise of identifying free time and still don’t have enough time to complete your work, you must do fewer things – more is not always better.
To properly manage long-term projects: break down the larger project into smaller steps & schedule these smaller steps onto your calendar leading up to the ultimate due date (don’t wait until the last minute!).
Why Time Management is Important for College Students
There are a few reasons why time management is especially important for college students. First of all, studying takes effort and concentration. But many students are distracted while studying, which leads to them wasting time and not learning effectively.
Secondly, if there is not enough time in the week to complete all schoolwork, students may be tempted to do more than they can handle—which can actually lead to poorer grades. Finally, long-term projects can be especially challenging to complete without a good time management plan in place.
Tips for Increasing Focus While Studying
There are a few things college students can do to increase their focus while studying. First, try breaking down the study session into smaller chunks. It can be easier to focus for 20 minutes than it is for two hours straight.
Second, put away distractions like your phone and social media so you can focus on the task at hand. And finally, create an environment that promotes focus—a quiet space with no distractions where you can sit comfortably and work uninterrupted.
If You Don’t Have Enough Time in the Week…
If you find that there’s just not enough time in the week to complete all of your schoolwork, it may be necessary to do fewer things. More is not always better—sometimes it’s necessary to prioritize and cut back on extracurricular activities or socializing in order to focus on what’s really important.
For Long-Term Projects…
Long-term projects can be especially challenging, but there are a few things you can do to make them more manageable. First, break the project down into smaller steps so you don’t feel overwhelmed by the task at hand.
Second, schedule these steps onto your calendar so you know when each part of the project is due. And finally, start working on the project early so you don’t have to cram everything in at the last minute.
More Into the Weeds With Your Time Management System and Conquering Mistakes
A good time management system is key to success in college. You need to have complete clarity on two primary areas: how much time is available and what needs to get done. First, you need to know how many hours are in a day and how many of those hours you can realistically commit to studying.
Second, you need to make a list of all the tasks that need to be completed. This may include reading assignments, writing papers, preparing for exams, and meeting with professors. By taking the time to plan out your days and weeks, you will be able to make the most of your time and achieve success in college.
Come to Terms With How You Are Wasting Time
Reality-checking your time can be a harsh but necessary wake-up call for busy students. By taking out a calendar and looking at your week in hour-by-hour detail, you can get a much better sense of how much time you actually have for schoolwork.
Once you’ve blocked out all the unavoidable commitments like classes, meals, activities, and commuting, you may be surprised how little time is left for homework and studying. That’s not to say that you can’t still be successful in school with a busy schedule, but it does mean that you need to be more mindful and strategic about how you use your time.
If you can learn to use your time more efficiently, you’ll find that you have more time for the things you enjoy and that your stress levels will go down. So take a close look at your schedule and see where you can make some changes. It might just make all the difference in your academic success.
Strategize to Conquer Your Distractions
As any student knows, studying can be a challenge. It takes effort and concentration to learn effectively, but many students are easily distracted. As a result, they waste time and don’t retain as much information as they could.
If you want to increase your focus while studying, there are a few things you can do. First, know how long you will study and stick to that plan. It’s easy to get sidetracked if you don’t have a set amount of time to work with.
Second, put your phone in another room. It’s tempting to check social media or text friends when you’re supposed to be studying, but it’s much easier to stay focused if your phone is out of sight. Third, avoid music with words.
Music can be helpful for some people when they’re studying, but lyrics can be distracting. Instead, try listening to instrumental music or white noise. Fourth, take breaks. It’s important to give your brain a break every once in a while, or you’ll start to feel overwhelmed. But be sure not to take too long of a break – set a timer for 5-10 minutes and then get back to work.
Lastly, have a plan. Before you start studying, take a few minutes to plan out what you need to do. Having a roadmap will help you stay on track and avoid getting lost in the material. Everyone studies differently, so find what works best for you and stick with it. With a little bit of effort, you’ll be surprised at how much more you can learn.
Take Real Inventory of Your Time
Time management is a skill that everyone should learn in order to be successful. One important aspect of time management is identifying free time and using it wisely. Free time is any time that is not being used for school, work, or other obligations.
It can be tempting to try to fill every moment of free time with activities, but this is often not possible or desirable. If you find that you don’t have enough free time to complete your work, it’s important to focus on quality over quantity. You may need to do fewer things in order to have enough time to do them well. Trying to do too many things can lead to subpar results and feelings of frustration and overwhelm. So next time you’re feeling short on time, take a step back and assess your priorities. Doing fewer things may seem counterintuitive, but it can actually help you get more done and feel better in the process.
Avoid Procrastination
A lot of students think that the best way to manage a long-term project is to wait until the last minute and then try to get it all done at once. This is actually a really bad idea!
When you wait until the last minute, you’re more likely to make mistakes and you won’t have time to fix them. You’re also more likely to get stressed out, which can lead to even more mistakes.
The better way to manage a long-term project is to break it down into smaller steps, and then schedule those steps onto your calendar leading up to the ultimate due date. That way, you can work on the project little by little, and you’re less likely to make mistakes.
And if you do make a mistake, you’ll have time to fix it before it’s due. So remember: when you have a long-term project, break it down into small steps and schedule those steps onto your calendar. Don’t wait until the last minute!
Time Management Is One of the Most Essential Skills in Your Toolbox
Time management is an important skill for college students to master. By taking the time to learn effective time management techniques, students can increase their focus while studying, make better use of their time outside of class, and avoid feeling overwhelmed by long-term projects. By following these tips, college students will be on their way to success in both their academic and professional lives!
Aric Mitchell's work appears regularly here at 4tests.com and across the web for sites, such as The Inquisitr and Life'd. A former high school teacher, his passion for education has only intensified since leaving the classroom. At 4tests, he hopes to continue passing along words of encouragement and study tips to ensure you leave school ready to face an ever-changing world.
