Introduction
Any student’s constant worry is time management. These obligations become considerably more difficult when you mix in work, family, and social obligations. You’re not the only one who struggles to manage a hectic schedule while pursuing your degree. 40 percent of students between the ages of 16 and 29 and 76 percent of students between the ages of 30 and 54 work while attending school, according to a 2015 Georgetown University research. As you might expect, it’s crucial to concentrate on time management at college if you’re a student with competing objectives.
So, what can be done to improve your time management? This article gathered some great tips that will enable you to stay on top of your coursework. These time management techniques and advice for college students will keep you organised and on track with your assignments whether you’re just out of high school or juggling two jobs and a family.
Record all due dates and deadlines
Imagine that you are about to leave class and the teacher announces something. In three days, the homework is due, and seven days from now, the exam. You mentally make a note to keep in mind those days as you leave class. How frequently has it happened to you, only for you to freak out because you forgot the night before your schoolwork is due? Write down everything as you hear it to avoid the late-night rush. Holley suggests checking over course calendars and syllabi at the beginning of the semester and jotting down all the crucial dates, even if you believe you’ll remember a due date or anything you have to do at work. You can better prepare if you are aware of what is coming (BAW, 2019).
Create a routine
Working along with studying becomes very difficult, however, this can achieved by the establishing the proper schedule. Establish a routine from the start of the semester so that you can get used to it quickly, and then determine whether you still have time for other commitments. Students that perform well organise their day around work and study. It’s not always ideal; occasionally, you might have to stay up late or pass up something enjoyable in order to finish your homework, but that’s just how it is, according to Holley. The moment you cross the finish line, it will all have been worthwhile.
Use your tech for good
Your smartphone may seem more like a complete waste of time than a time manager because of the vast number of apps and games it offers. But if you practise self-control, you can use your phone or other mobile device as an on-the-go calendar and scheduler. Create reminders to assist you in remembering deadlines and other significant commitments throughout the day. Using productivity and project management apps like Trello as digital to-do lists is another way that apps can be useful. Are you tempted to frequently check social media during your study time? There are numerous mobile apps available to prevent you from browsing social media. Don’t stop at your phone, though. To reduce potential distractions, you can also manage your accounts on your computer and tablet.
Create three different users on the computer: a personal, a professional, and an educational one. On your user accounts for work and school, have only the items you’ll need to complete duties linked to work and education. Other leisure and entertainment-related expenses belong in your personal account. Your time management will improve the less interruptions you accept into your routine. Dissertation editing service are also very helpful in saving some crucial time.
Break down your workload with the Pomodoro Technique
Kristin Irvin, a peer tutor and nursing student at Rasmussen University, suggests attempting the Pomodoro Technique if you find that technology is increasingly getting in the way of your work. The approach was created by an Italian programmer named Francesco Cirillo, who gave it the name of the tomato-shaped kitchen timer he used to time his sessions.
The pomodoro technique is similar to a high-intensity-interval training (HIIT) workout. First, you pick the project you want to work on, set a timer for 25 minutes, and start working on it without interruptions. Set a timer for five minutes after the alarm goes off and take a rest. You can do this process as many times as you desire. Any timer that starts counting down from 25 minutes will work, so you do not need one that looks like a tomato to follow this strategy. Better still? There are also playlists available for folks who enjoy listening to music while studying that adhere to the 25-minute time limit (Ismail, Putri, and Noviyanti, 2022). So save more time, change management research topic of the thesis.
Take note-taking to the next level
While attending lectures, many of us take notes, but we stop there. Frank Buck, an educational consultant with Frank Buck Consulting Inc., advises students to approach their lecture notes more like a first draught or rough outline. Don’t worry about neatness, form, or spelling in class. When you connect with those notes again later that day, “the magic happens that evening.”
The majority of forgetting, according to Buck, occurs within the first 24 hours of being exposed to new information. Recopying and rearranging your notes will help you remember and comprehend new ideas. You pause while doing this to reflect on anything that wasn’t clear during the initial lecture. To clear up any uncertainty, Buck suggests doing a fast Google search or looking it up in the textbook. If necessary, double-check your spelling. This method is comparable to turning straw into gold. The notes are perfect when it comes time to review for the test. The amount of time needed to study is reduced.
Examine and limit potential distractions
Being truthful about personal preferences and routines will help you reduce distractions while also assisting you in creating a schedule that works for you. According to Mike Grossman, CEO of GoodHire, if you typically work best at night, there’s no use attempting to get all your work done in the morning.
When you don’t feel like working, you can find yourself deep cleaning your study space, surfing through social media, or making arrangements with a friend who swings by, according to Grossman. You can take proactive actions to stop wasting time by moving where you study, putting your phone in another room, or just locking the door.
Conclusion
These few methods are proven, and many of the students follow these techniques for studying and managing their other activities. There are other techniques as well, but these are the most effective ones. Mastery of these techniques and methods can help the student to better manage their time. This will also help them to create more free time that can be used for spending time with family and on health-related activities.
References
Ismail, N.M., Putri, Z. and Noviyanti, A., 2022. POMODORO TECHNIQUE ANALYSIS IN ZOOM-BASED CLASSROOMS. JEELS (Journal of English Education and Linguistics Studies), 9(1), pp.75-96.
BAW (2019). How to organize your time to meet deadlines – Best Assignment Writers. [online] Best Assignment Writer. Available at: https://bestassignmentwriter.co.uk/blog/how-to-organize-your-time-for-academic-deadlines/ [Accessed 30 Aug. 2022].
