Some Tips on Time
Management for
Students
Time management should begin with knowing what
you wish to accomplish, the amount of time you
have available, and how much time it will take to
complete your task.
How Much Time Do You Have?
Now that you know what you want to accomplish,
now you need to determine how much time you
have available and how much time is needed to
accomplish your goals. You may need to change
your schedule to make time for new activities or
sacrifice some activities in order to give yourself more time for new tasks.
What are your goals and priorities?
What goals do you want to accomplish? What needs to be done
today and what can wait until tomorrow or next week? You
should set long-term, intermediate, and short-term goals.
You may even choose to set semester goals as well.
Long-term goals – are goals you want to accomplish within 24 years or more. Getting married, starting a family, and
beginning a career are all examples of long-term goals.
Earning a degree may also be considered a long-term goal
because it will take more than a year to complete.
Short-term goals – are those that can be accomplished in a
shorter duration of time. These may be goals that, when
completed, contribute to long-term goals. For example,
completing a semester of college generally takes about four
months, and contributes to one’s long-term goal of finishing a
degree.
Semester goals – may include completing a course, achieving a grade in a particular course, or
improving a competency, such as “becoming a better writer.”
5 Tips for Juggling School, Work, and Family
School is not the only responsibility students have. Many students – both traditional and nontraditional – have families, jobs, extra-curricular activities, additional duties, obligations, and
busy schedules. It is important to
give adequate attention to all of the
things in your life that demand time.
Following are five tips to help you
multi-task and juggle all of your
responsibilities.
Plan your day and week ahead of
time. Make time for all of the
important things you need to
accomplish.
Be prepared. Just because you can’t
make it home in time to study in
your regular place, doesn’t mean you
can’t study at all. Create flash cards,
cheat sheets, or notes that you can
take with you on the go. You only
need a couple of minutes to review
these. It’s better than no studying at
all…
Get help. Adding the responsibilities
of school and homework to an
already busy schedule can be
frustrating – don’t let it. Check into
daycare options, ask relatives to help
watch your children, or plan to do
school work after children’s
bedtimes.
Find balance. Balance is the secret to all things. Give adequate time to every important task on
your agenda, but don’t go overboard. Find a stopping place that you can comfortable return to, or
plan to accomplish tasks in segments. Don’t let some responsibilities become overshadowed by
others.
Create a support system. Make friends in class that you can trust to share homework
assignments when you must miss class. Network with successful students who can take time to
explain assignments, and finally, be a friend to others – the rewards will be plentiful.
9 Tips for Managing Time and Creating Study Strategies
1. Brainstorm all the things you want to do and write them down.
2. Do the hard stuff first – You will feel good about getting work done and motivated not to
wait until the last minute.
3. Take small steps – You won’t feel so overwhelmed by the size of the projects. It will also
help you achieve the overall goal more quickly.
4. Multi-task and consolidate projects – If you are someone who can do two things at once,
why not use this approach to simplify things? If two tasks are similar in nature, it might
make sense to do them together.
5. Study when you have the most energy – Some people work best at night; some work
better first thing in the morning. Find out your best time and study then.
6. Create more time for studying – You may have a set time and place for studying, but you
can really study anywhere at any time if you know how to maximize your time.
7. Study in segments and take frequent breaks – Studying for hours at a time is not effective
if you are not retaining the information you are studying. Actively focus on the
information you are studying and take breaks about every twenty minutes. This will help
you to absorb the information and recall it when you need it.
8. Be organized and prepared – Do as many things as you can before you need to.
9. Learn to say no – Some people fail at time management because they take on more than
they can adequately accomplish. Keep priority in your perspective and be willing to say
“no” when doing additional work means jeopardizing the quality of the work you are
already committed to.
5 Strategies for
Controlling
Interruptions
and Distractions
Find a good place to study. You
need to study in an environment
that does not have loud noises or
distractions that take your mind
away from your studies.
Find a good time to study. If you’re tired after returning home from work, then that is probably
not the best time to study. Find a time of day when you are relaxed, energized, and motivated.
Turn off the TV, the internet, and the iPod. While you may feel more motivated by your
favorite song or TV show, enjoying them during a time when you need to focus on studying may
not be best. Surfing the web can be fun, but it can also be time-consuming. Eliminate all
distractions so that you can focus on the work at hand.
Focus on your work and make sure it gets done. Procrastination is big problem for some
students. Make studying a priority and get school work done before moving on to other projects.
Consider studying alone. Studying with friends can be beneficial, but more often than not, it
ends up less than productive. If you think studying may be interrupted by socializing, ask your
friends to wait until you are done.
Plan, organize, work hard, and make it happen!
Ever heard the expression, “He who fails to prepare,
prepares to fail”? Not planning ahead can sometimes
keep you from completing your work. Make sure you
are organized and know where to find all the supplies
you need when you need them. Finally, do your work
thoroughly, and make sure you present the best quality
of work possible. Teachers take note of their students’
preparation and work habits, so leave your teachers
with the best impressions.