We have all been grown up listening to a saying: time is money. Right from our parents to teachers, everyone tried to incorporate the same mindset in us. Managing time especially as a student can be challenging. Effective time management tips and skills for college students can be helpful. Read to know time management tips for students.
As a student, we were taught so many great life lessons but we hardly paid attention to any. Growing up we turned a deaf ear to all those values and lessons. And now at difficult times, we realize the importance of them.
As a student, the biggest challenge we face is time management. We are burdened with lots of assignments, projects, and notes. Another situation where we face time issues is during our exams especially board exams. Board exams not only test your knowledge but also your time management skills.
Why do students fail to manage time?
As a teacher, I have come across many students who struggle with time management. Based on these, I have found a few common reasons why students fail to manage time.
Firstly, students are fun-loving and enjoy living in the moment. Most of them are not bothered about what the future holds and don’t bother about any responsibilities. This is one of the major causes of bad time management.
Also, students tend to keep everything for the last minute. This keeps piling up the stuff and in the end, students just have to rush through everything.
How Lack of Time Management Affects College Students?
Poor time management is the major cause of poor performance. Apart from this, last-minute assignments and projects make students lose precious sleep time or skip meals resulting in bad health too.
According to Ruth Blackburn, a residence hall nutritional specialist interviewed for “The Michigan Daily,” students who can’t manage their time well often end up adapting to unhealthy eating habits, such as a preference for high-fat, high-sugar junk foods.
Bad time management skills can also lead to students being demoted in schools.
So, how can you manage your time as a student?
1. Maintain a to-do list
Make a list of all the things like your assignments and projects daily. Sort them based on their submission dates. While writing exams, spend some time marking which problems you will solve first and so on.
Always start with the important questions. For instance, try to ask yourself how important is it to answer a specific question. You can try to cultivate a habit to answer questions that carry more value to your results first. Also, analyze which questions may consume much more time.
2. Don’t delay
If any task is assigned to you, make sure you complete it by the end of the day. If you keep postponing any tasks, it will surely end up piling up.
Thus, this will result in you having tons of homework, projects, and assignments and mess up your mind and health. Check out, how to stop procrastinating and get better at doing things on time.
3. Have a timetable
The best way to manage time in a student’s life is by maintaining a timetable. Most of us follow a set timetable at home a couple of weeks before the board exams. Maintaining a timetable will help you complete all your daily tasks and activities from time to time.
4. Use a matrix
A matrix can be very useful not only in managing time but also while studying. This time management matrix was first created by Stephen Covey.
A matrix is a square divided into four parts and has two axes. One axis stands for the urgency of the product whereas the other stands for the importance. You can have a look at the below diagram, on how to use this time management technique in your daily life.
It leaves very little reason for anyone, not to use such a simple time management technique to manage your time more efficiently.
ImgCredits –Â mytimemanagement.com
Based on this matrix, you can divide your work amongst the four quadrants and work with them accordingly.
1. Keep a check on your plate
Always keep revisiting the amount of work you have completed during the day. Make sure you are following the timetable that you have set for yourself and whether you are fulfilling your daily goals.
Reviewing your daily progress will help you keep a check on your plate as well as manage your time for the next day accordingly.
2. Take help
One of the greatest time management tips for students is don’t be afraid to take help. If you find it difficult to stick to your schedule or if you find that you are being constantly distracted or interrupted, don’t be afraid to take someone’s help. This someone can be your teacher, your parent, or anyone you like.
Just be sure that the person helping you out shouldn’t be a distraction and cause more problems or interruptions for you. Thus, I would like to advise you don’t take the help of your friends who are talkative or noisy.
3. Deadlines
Set personal deadlines for each task. Like for eg, if you are completing a project, finish it within an hour or two hours. Time everything that you do. This strategy will be extremely useful during exams.
Have a particular time set for each answer. For eg., 15 minutes for objectives, 10 minutes for short notes, 5 minutes to define the terms, etc. This will not only help you increase your speed, but also help you complete your paper.
4. Multi-task
Multi-tasking can be good as well as a bad thing depending on the way you plan to use this strategy. If you are good at multi-tasking, you will surely be able to complete two tasks at one time like learning the answers and preparing your notes.
However, if you use your multi-tasking to watch TV and complete notes, nothing will be done and you may end up wasting more time.
5. Minimize interruptions
If you know that the task at the end is important as well as urgent, shut out all the distractions like mobile, internet, TV, music, etc, and get to your task. Have a wall clock or a wristwatch with you and keep a check on your time.
6. Enjoy what you do
Most importantly, put your heart and soul into whatever you do. If you do something out of love and interest, time management will never be an issue.
Final Thoughts,
For students, learning time management skills is very essential. When it comes to college students, they are on the verge of entering the corporate world. No company likes to hire a person with poor time management skills. Hence, incorporating and following these effective time management tips regularly can help college students be well prepared.
What are your time management tips for college students? Share your effective time management tips in the comment section.
Did you enjoy this article? Don’t forget to share it. Subscribe with us for more such useful articles. You can also follow us on our social media channels for daily updates.
