Time management is one of the most important life skills students can learn. Using your time appropriately will help ensure that you spend enough time on study and other important life tasks. Good time management skills will also benefit you outside of the classroom and in the job world.
To help you make the most of your time, here are the three top time management techniques students should master.
1. Prioritize and Plan
It sounds simple enough, but planning and prioritizing are two things students rarely do. First of all, get familiar with the module and the assignments. Know when assignments are due, and which ones are of the most importance.
Next, prioritize your assignments. You may want to use a calendar to schedule in and complete tasks according to urgency. Also consider tackling tasks that require more concentration early on or when your mind is at its sharpest.
While it’s important to have a plan and to prioritize, make sure that you’re also flexible with your schedule. If you’re finding that your plan is not working, make adjustments until you find a schedule that works for you.
2. Create Study Goals
Effective time management also requires you to set goals. In this case, you want to set long-term study goals and break these down into short-term goals that you can work on and add to your schedule as you move along.
Consider the best ways to use your study time and which tasks are most important to complete this week.
The idea is to break your long-term goals and assignments into chunks that you can schedule into your week. Breaking larger assignments and tasks into smaller, more manageable ones can help you get the entire project complete well before the cut-off date – or ensure you’re fully prepared for your next big exam.
3. Create a Plan to Deal with Distractions
Distractions are inevitable. You can schedule and plan every second of your day if you wish, but life will surprise you and unexpected events will get in the way. Small distractions will try to steer you off course as well.
Create a plan to help you manage these distractions. Make a set of rules, such as turning off your mobile or asking friends to give you some time alone. Avoid taking on too many things – it’s perfectly fine to say “no” sometimes.
Also, make sure that you set realistic goals for your study time to minimize distractions. It’s difficult to commit to studying for two or three hours at a time – distractions are sure to get in the way – but it’s not impractical to study for 40 minutes at a time before moving onto a new task.