Time management has been one of the key aspects of success among students, especially in college and university. With so many things taking up our time and energy during the day, students are more likely to suffer from burnouts in the long run. In order to maintain a sense of balance, we need to create a schedule that suits our everyday needs.
Here are a few tips to help us manage our time and energy more efficiently.
Photo source: Pinterest
[ 01 || Create An Ideal Schedule For The Week ]
Photo source: Pinterest
Before we start doing anything to change our schedule, it would be more motivating to see how we would like to spend our time. Only then we can plan accordingly. I suggest making an ideal weekly schedule, especially for college and university students, because our class times can get inconsistent throughout the week. Thus, an ideal schedule can help us see our free time slots better.
Photo source: Pinterest
When making this ideal schedule, we have to get our priorities straight. Our class times and meal times should be put first. In order to maintain our health, we need to make sure to have at least 7-8 hours of sleep daily. That way, we can ensure that we are well-rested. Also, campus life can be overwhelming if we are not careful with our time management. Hence, don't forget to schedule some me-time for yourself.
Photo source: Pinterest
[ 02 || Analyse The Way You Spend Your Time ]
Photo source: Pinterest
Even with an efficient schedule set properly, there will still be days that other plans and events interfere with it. We are humans, there will be days when we don't feel as productive and motivated as well. However, this is no excuse that we cannot manage our time efficiently.
Photo source: Pinterest
To get closer to where we want to be, we need to analyse our current self and current situations. Then do our best to change and improve ourselves to get there. Try writing down the things that you have achieved, be it big or small tasks, at the end of the day. Do this for 3-5 days. You'll then know which day is it that you are at your best and which day is a rest day for you. This will help you organise your time and tasks for the week better.
Photo source: Pinterest
[ 03 || Track Your Work Progress ]
Photo source: Pinterest
Reaching our goals is more often easier said than done. This is because to actually achieve our goals, we have to put in the effort and do the work. The reason many people overlook this is that our goals only portrayed the end result and not the actual work itself.
Photo source: Pinterest
In an era craving for instant gratification, we are more likely to push things off to the last minute because that is when we are "motivated" to do so. But sorry to burst your bubble, that is not the case. To effectively reach our goals, we need to do the work consistently. Only consistency brings effective and permanent results.
Photo source: Pinterest
So what do we need to do when we put in the work? To make tasks more achievable, we have to first track our work progress because everyone works at a different pace. For example, Person A may finish a 1000 word essay in 3 hours, but it may take Person B longer to finish. Thus, it is important to know your pace, then only make a sustainable plan.
Photo source: Pinterest
[ 04 || Break Down Your Tasks ]
Photo source: Pinterest
As a saying goes, "don't bite off more than you can chew." Big tasks can be very overwhelming if we don't break it down. It can also be very dangerous because we will tend to think that it is only 'one' task that we can finish in the last minute. But the next thing we don't see coming is that 'one' task is actually a very complicated one.
Photo source: Pinterest
Breaking down big tasks can make them more achievable as it helps build momentum to our progress. This way we always know what to do next to finish the big task. Not only it saves time and prevents any delay, but it is also more manageable. In addition, it is important to set individual deadlines for each small task that we have set. This helps increase our efficiency.
This tip is incredibly useful when working on projects, assignments, essays or research papers.
Photo source: Pinterest
[ 05 || Don't Overestimate Your Time ]
Photo source: Pinterest
Many students tend to overestimate their own time when it comes to planning time for their tasks. Life is always full of surprises and there will be times when our agendas don't go as planned. Either we underestimated the complexity of a task or that our friends suddenly invited us to hang out, these are still things that we need to consider when planning time to finish our work.
Photo source: Pinterest
If we plan too little time for a task that turns out more difficult than it should have, we may feel stressed and panic as the time is too little. This may affect our efficiency because of the excess stress that we didn't plan for, and we may fall trap to the evil clutches of procrastination. This is where Tip 02 and 03 come in place. Those steps can help prevent all of these from happening, and help us manage our time more effectively.
Photo source: Pinterest
All in all, even with the best time management in the world will not be enough to help us accomplish our tasks. We still need the self-discipline to act upon the tasks and goals that we want to reach. Remember, consistency is the key to achieving great results.
"Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort." - Paul J. Meyer.
