The problem students most often face in college is probably lack of time. Many of them never have enough time to deal with all the responsibilities their college life throws their way. However, how do other students who have the same amount of hours in a day manage to complete all their assignments on time and even find time for extracurricular activities and personal life? There is nothing mysterious about it – they are simply better at setting priorities and managing their time. The good news is that proper time management is not something you are born with – you can always learn it, given enough motivation. In this article, we will tell you how to do it.
1. Define Your Time-Wasters
What stands in the way of your academic excellence? What activities of no real importance do you spend all too much doing? Different things will be primary time wasters for different people. Some spend way too much time checking their social media. Others text their friends all the time. Still, others binge on TV shows on Netflix. It does not matter what is the true answer for you. You simply have to identify what impedes your progress and learn to set limits for the time you spend on these activities.
2. Use Your Time Efficiently
The most important thing about managing your time is to find ways to get the greatest bang for your buck, whatever you do. For example, if you are not very good at essay writing, you can simply practice writing as much as possible. You will achieve the desired results, eventually – but it will take you a lot of time. Alternatively, you can run a Google search like “Essay tutor near me”. Find somebody who is good at essay writing and hire him/her to tutor you. This will also help you improve your writing, but you will improve much, much faster. Tutoring is not the only example – you can follow the same approach in any field.
3. Follow a Plan
If you want to use your time to maximum effect, you have to follow a plan. It does not matter what specific method you do for that purpose. You may compile to-do lists for every day and try to complete the predetermined tasks. You may create and follow a schedule that determines what you do at different periods of any given day. You may set your own personal deadlines for different assignments you have to do. It does not matter. What matters is that you always should have an idea of what you should be doing next. You should never work haphazardly, lest you suddenly find yourself facing a workload you physically cannot complete before the deadline. Plan and stick to your plans.
4. Take Breaks
Breaks and time off are an important part of work. It is virtually impossible to maintain the same tempo of work indefinitely – if you want to avoid burnout, you have to take regular breaks. Optimally, you should spend them doing something completely different from what you are currently working on. Take a walk in a park near your home. Go drink a glass of water. Spend ten minutes meditating. Anything to take your mind off your work and reinvigorate yourself.
5. Establish Regular Routines
Routines are an excellent way to save time and improve the efficiency of your work. If you always do your homework at different times and continue for random amounts of time, you will always have to apply some effort to force yourself to sit down and start working. If you always start doing your homework immediately after you come back home and have a bite to eat, it will very soon stop being an issue. You will simply come back home, have dinner and effortlessly move on to your homework, without giving it a second thought.
6. Set Time Limits for Individual Tasks
When you start working on a particular assignment, always set a time limit of how long you give yourself to complete it. If you do not set such limits, you will often find yourself spending an inordinate amount of time on the most trivial tasks. When you have a limit, you are constantly motivated to proceed quickly and avoid wasting time.
7. Find Your Optimal Time for Work and Study
Different people are at their best at different periods of the day. Some are most alert early in the morning, others get more efficient late at night. Try working at different periods of the day and see when you achieve better results.
The ability to manage your time for maximum efficiency is one of the most useful skills for long-lasting success in college. We hope that you will find the tips we have shared in this article useful!
