A lot of colleges and universities provide their students with useful time management techniques that help them do better in their classes. The recommendations usually include better organizing their routine, combating procrastination, reducing stress levels, and increasing confidence and motivation. In this article, we have outlined a list of time management tips and tricks that help university students succeed in academic surroundings.
You Have to Be Organized
When working on your time management techniques as a college student, it is important that you first understand your goals and then create and stick to a routine schedule. If you fail to do so, you won’t get motivated to employ your strategies for better time management. Get a weekly, monthly, or yearly planner. Put every other research paper, Matlab coursework, MBA essay, Math or economics homework, or engineering term paper on a scheduler to ensure you meet the deadline of each assignment. You need to know how much time you have to write your essay or get ready for the exams. Thus, you will see if you can cope with your writing assignment on your own or if you have to approach someone online with “Please, help me do my engineering assignment” or “Help me write my movie review” request. It’s best to hire a professional writer from a custom writing service than trying to do a research paper in five hours. There are loads of cheap services out there where you can buy professionally written works accomplished by experts in a variety of fields. Pay a pocket-friendly price to avoid waiting until the last minute.
Stay Away from Time Wasters
A lot of people are surrounded by different external distractions. To manage your time wisely, it is important to eliminate or at least make less visible these distractions less. As a rule, the most common time wasters are as follows:
- Phone talks
- TV
- Commuting
- Internet (social media platforms, YouTube, etc.)
- Extracurriculars
- Running various errands
Learn to Prioritize
At some point, you may realize that your to-do list is too long. That’s when it’s time to order it to make it manageable. Start with writing down all the tasks that you have to accomplish on a piece of paper. When listing down the tasks, ensure to specify all the deadlines. Thus, you will have an opportunity to organize your to-dos in order of priority. Even if the list is too long and challenging at first, you’re welcome to group together tasks that are similar (doing research for an essay and research paper, reading, and so on). Then you will prioritize them to work on what needs to get done first.
Break Up Complex Tasks
When in college, you know that if your tutor assigns you to accomplish 15-page coursework, you may feel stuck and overwhelmed. Instead, if you’re asked to create a 1-page 5-paragraph essay, you’d likely feel relaxed about coping with the task. The question is – why not choose that approach when working on all of your assignments?
With complex tasks, make sure to put down a deadline and see how you can break down this or that task into bite-size chunks to accomplish the piece within the deadline. It is one of the essential time management skills that all students have to master. For example, if you have to accomplish a term paper, check how many pages it must include and when it is due. Then count the number of days you have before the deadline and break it down by the number of pages to see how many pages you have to write every day to submit the work on time. Is there a book that you have to read? Figure out how many pages you have to read daily to do the task within the deadline.
Do One Project at a Time
A lot of students believe that working on several tasks simultaneously will help them get more work done. But the truth is that when you attempt to do several tasks at a time, you fail to pay 100% of your attention to each assignment. As a result, you submit a poor-quality piece. Instead, do your best to focus on one project at a time in order to produce the finest quality document.
Study with Friends
Having a study group that you can join at any time is a great opportunity to avoid procrastination, see the new perspectives on the topic under study, and get motivated to do more work. When you study in a group, feel free to discuss the toughest issues and provide peer-to-peer support. Here are some recommendations on getting the most out of your study sessions:
- Don’t forget that time is money. Your time is the most precious thing that you have. If you make sure to work on necessary tasks only, you will invest in better academic results.
- Study during your most productive hours. A lot of students work best in the evening. Others choose to write essays and prepare for tests in the morning. It’s important to know your prime work time to guarantee peak performance.
- Set realistic timeframes. A lot of students fail to accurately judge the amount of time that this or that assignment will take. To avoid the so-called time trap, make sure to estimate how much time your book review or capstone project requires and compare it to the actual time that you have. Thus, your work will be more successful the next time a similar assignment pops up.
Exercise
It’s unbelievable but working out is similar to… sleeping. Regular exercises help you stay focused on home assignments, as well as boost your brain function. When your brain functions well, you have an opportunity to manage your time effectively.
Take Regular Breaks
It’s not easy to be focused all the time. That is why you have to take frequent breaks when working on your research papers or getting ready for the exams. Never force your focus but ensure to step away for a moment to relax and let your brain reload. As a result, you will find it easier to cope with the tasks that require complete attention and strong skills.
When it comes to being successful in time management as a college student, organizing and planning are a must. Cut off time wasters, do mental and physical exercises, and seek help when you need it.
