Time management as a student always seems to be the biggest chore out of everything.
While everyone has the same number of hours, student life seems to be summed up by always feeling like there is not enough time to get everything done in time.
With us now transitioning into exam season, we thought it would be best to provide you with five tips to start managing your time better!
1
Set out clear tasks and prioritise
Having a proper checklist of tasks to complete is important, but have you ordered it in an appropriate way?
First of all, try to list the tasks that you have to do, along with their respective deadlines, and afterwards, make sure to organise them according to their priority, always focusing on grouping tasks that are similar to each other in one, such as reading, note-taking, assignments etc.
Also, make sure to keep track of that checklist, always ticking off things that you have completed so that you don’t forget anything.
2
Create a schedule
Keeping a schedule might seem like an outdated idea, but it is crucial when it comes to time management, especially in stressful situations like the exam period.
Scheduling can either take the form of in-depth structuring of your whole day, planning each and every hour, or else even in a more lenient way, planning what you have to do each day in advance.
When scheduling, make sure to also give ample time to other things in life, such as family, jobs and also your hobbies, so that you have enough time to relax and unwind, taking some of the unnecessary pressure off of yourself.
3
Eliminate distractions!
Getting distracted is now easier than it ever was, with distraction being everywhere, especially when it comes to social media.
Try to avoid using your phone while studying or working on assignments, and if you are unable to do this yourself, there are plenty of apps like Freedom and StayFocused that lock you out of the Internet for a specific amount of time or else restrict certain websites in order to make sure that you get your work done.
If you don’t feel comfortable using these apps, you can also leave your phone in a different room, and that way you will assure yourself that you’re not using it when it’s not the right time to do so!
4
Take everything one step at a time
While multitasking might seem like the convenient option, the brain performs just one function at a time, and so while it might seem like you are multitasking, at the end of the day you are simply stopping and starting something else.
Switching back and forth from one task to another often ends up being more stressful and exhausting than simply focusing on one task.
Therefore, make sure to start a task, complete it, and then move on to something else.
5
Wake up early and get plenty of rest!
Getting up early is something plenty of students dread, but once you start doing it regularly, it actually starts to become quite normal.
The first day that you decide to wake up early will be tough, but make sure that on that day, you also go to bed earlier than usual, and that way your body will start to adjust to a way of living that maximises your time!
Getting up early before others will also limit the amount of distractions that you have at home, and since the body and the mind are getting up from a night’s sleep, you will feel much more refreshed.
That being said, make sure that if you are waking up earlier, you are also sleeping earlier, as sleep and rest are crucial when it comes to productivity.
Taking regular breaks is also very important, as they will help you stay refreshed and feeling energetic.
Did any of these tips help you?
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