Time Management Skills for College Students: How to Improve Them?
Time is one of the unique phenomena we cannot control. It always goes on, and we cannot stop or at least slow it down. Students commonly have problems with time management, and it always seems to slip away. When youngsters run out of time, they violate deadlines, and it leads to the loss of many vital grades. As a matter of fact, buying online essays is a temporary solution for those who need custom-written papers from experts. Students have to learn how to control their time. We cannot slow it down but can define how to use it smartly. Therefore, our informative blog post highlights the possible strategies and solutions that help to boost time management skills for college students.
Create a Healthy Routine
First, you should create a reasonable schedule. It’s supposed to take into account your short- and long-term goals. Accordingly, you should have daily, weekly, and monthly schedules. Create a to-do list and review it every day to never forget about important tasks. Many of them will repeat regularly, and thus you’ll establish a well-known healthy routine which must be done for sure. Your routine should include:
- Common and new tasks;
- Academic goals;
- Non-academic duties;
- Clear, realistic deadlines;
- Instructions for every case;
- Methods to fulfill every task.
Learn to Say “No”
It’s vital to be able to say “no” in certain situations. Other people will ask you to do something for them at least from time to time. It’s alright to help them because it makes you a good person, and you may count on somebody’s help in return. Nevertheless, you should never let others overuse your kindness.
It’s really hard for most people to deny the requests of others. They automatically think they have done something wrong and are not worth trust and friendship. You should understand that it’s not so! You have your own goals, and they must be fulfilled. If you see that you run out of time, stop helping others until you manage your problems. Afterward, promise to provide assistance a bit later.
Set Priorities
It’s very beneficial to prioritize your tasks and duties. If you don’t make a clear division, you are doomed to fail. For example, you should submit an essay today, but instead of writing it, you go camping with friends. The result is obvious – you fail to submit the essay on time and lose essential grades. Even if camping is a long-expected activity, it can be done the other day when you are free of your academics. Therefore, a logical system of priority is the MUST!
Let’s review a few good techniques of prioritization:
- Do the worst first.
- Start early.
- Sort out by categories.
- Divide by importance and urgency.
You may also like the idea of the creation of sub-lists. You can also have sub-lists that are dependent on your priorities. They contain a step-by-step plan of how to reach a certain goal.
Don’t Multitask
Students are very busy, and most of them are true enthusiasts. They want to handle all the things at once and succeed. This desire is important and shows how diligent a student is. Nevertheless, he/she also risks failing everything. It’s really hard to keep in mind everything that must be completed and what methods should be applied for success. The simplest and most reasonable strategy is to do everything linearly. Set goals and tackle one at a time. Only after you’re done with one goal, go to another task.
Take Short Breaks
You won’t be a fast student if you exhaust yourself. It’s a common mistake of many students to work all time long. However, it leads to exhaustion. Quite soon, they are not able to handle the simplest tasks because their minds are confused, and the strengths have left them. Accordingly, take frequent but short breaks (about 10-15 minutes). This strategy will help to refresh the mind and recharge your energy levels. Of course, you should sleep well. Sleep from 8 to 10 hours daily.
Use Smart Apps
Remember that technology is your friend! Many digital assistants will help to organize your day effectively. All you need to do is to spend some time to define which one suits your skills and needs the best. A digital organizer or assistant helps to:
- Set long- and short-term goals;
- Set alarms and deadlines;
- Create headlines and add instructions;
- Optimize time management up to a minute;
- Take shots and screenshots;
- Learn smart skills to control time more effectively;
- Share your schedule with others (if necessary).
Don’t Try to Be Perfect
Many students strive to be perfect, and it’s a serious mistake. It gets in their heads and eats them from the inside. Youngsters add unnecessary mental pressure for themselves, and it slows them down. Stress, anxiety, and even depression are potential threats. If you’re mentally unstable, you cannot live a normal life. Thriving for perfection isn’t reasonable. Try to do your best but don’t get disappointed if it’s not perfect.
Ask for Help
Don’t be shy to ask for help when it’s needed. At times, the circumstances are stronger than we are. Therefore, you may request assistance from:
- Teachers;
- Friends;
- Parents;
- Professional writers.
Avoid Distractions
Sometimes it’s necessary to simply unplug from the rest of the world. When your deadlines are about to expire, you may get anxious, and it will negatively reflect on your time management skills. If you don’t have this problem, make sure you avoid all kinds of distractions until your tasks are fulfilled. The typical distractions are:
- Social media;
- Other people;
- TV;
- Video games;
- Partying, etc.
Be aware of what happens around you. Get rid of distractive factors.
Remember this blog post when a new college essay is assigned. By following time management tips for students, you will control your time more effectively. You won’t violate the deadlines and so will submit your papers on time!
