Students live in a technology filled world full of distractions. Constant notifications from social media, new games and an overactive social life are just a few things that can stop students from effectively managing their time and achieving their full academic potential. We all have enough time in the day to achieve big things, this blog post provides practical methods to unlock effective time management for students so they have a bright academic future.
The first step in time blocking is to plan and identify available times. It could also be useful to identify when you are most productive, this means you will be able to block out your most productive times for the most demanding tasks.
When time blocking it can be beneficial to create categories for tasks and group together tasks of the same category. This allows students to address related tasks as a group reducing the cognitive load associated with switching between different types of tasks.
It is important to treat your time blocks as non-negotiable appointments so that they are always adhered to. To do this it is important for students to plan well and be organised, there is no point blocking out time for tasks if it was never free time in the first place. If students communicate their schedule and time blocks this can help manage expectations and minimise interruptions from others.
When building a schedule, it is important to incorporate breaks to avoid burnout, maintain energy and maintain focus throughout the day. This will result in increased productivity allowing students to get more out of their allocated time blocks. These breaks help to enhance memory consolidation allowing the brain to process and retain information more effectively. There are also physical benefits to taking breaks such as reduced eye strain and the opportunity to stretch and do some exercise.
It is important for students to have a clear list of priorities in mind when deciding how to manage their time. These priorities are unique to each student depending on their goals, for example one student may have academic priorities. This provides extra clarity regarding tasks that need immediate attention and tasks that can be deferred. A classic example would be saying no to seeing friends when a homework assignment is due.
We have all been in situations where we feel like we are being pulled in too many directions. If we try to do too much in a limited amount of time, we may end up exhausted and stressed which can negatively impact many areas in our lives. There is a strong negative correlation between stress and academic performance, it is important for students to know their limits and not overstretch themselves to avoid stress.
When students know their priorities, it ensures they will always be working towards their long-term goals. The mistake that many make is they focus on the short term at the expense of their long-term goals. Being popular at school may seem important at the time but in the long-term it is not as important as things such as academic success and a good career. Priorities can serve as an effective guide for making decisions in alignment with long-term goals and help students know when to say no.
A pomodoro timer is a time management technique that involves using a timer to break work into intervals. These are usually 25 minutes in length with a break of about 5 minutes in between. After 4 intervals students can increase the length of this break for 1 interval, usually to 20 minutes. The idea is that during these intervals the student does nothing but focus on the task at hand. This has the benefit of allowing students to accurately track how much distraction free time has been spent on a task and allows for deep focus. We have used this pomodoro timer and found it to be good.
Calendar apps are a great way to keep track of your time blocks and schedule, we would recommend Google Calendar as it is free and feature rich. Using a calendar app frees up mental capacity that would otherwise be used to remember your time blocks. It is also easy to share your Google calendar with others to help students communicate their availability and set expectations with others. Calendar apps allow for increased adaptability. If students have a change in schedule, it is easy to move things around on their calendar app to accommodate this. This would be harder and messier if the student had their calendar on paper. Calendar apps can increase deadline awareness, if students have their calendar app on their computer or phone, they will look at their calendar more often and be reminded of upcoming deadlines. Making use of calendar app notifications can alert students of any upcoming deadlines to ensure they are met.
The first step for students to overcome procrastination is to understand why they procrastinate. It is only when the reasons are understood that a solution can be reached.
Effective time management for students is often inhibited by fear of failure. This can result in students wasting time and not focusing on the right things. A change of perspective is a good method for students to overcome this. It is a good exercise to think what is the worst that will happen if they fail. In most cases nothing bad will happen and they will learn from their mistakes. They say failure is the best teacher after all.
Understanding purpose is a good way to stay interested and motivated. Revising for that exam may not seem like the most interesting thing to do in the short term, but in the long term it can have a huge positive impact. It can lead to a good university and good career path. Short term pain for long-term gain is a saying that comes to mind.
Breaking down tasks into smaller more manageable steps is key to not feeling overwhelmed. This can be done by clearly defining the main goal and the smaller sub tasks required to achieve this goal. Completing these smaller sub tasks will helps students gain momentum and a sense of achievement by making progress towards achieving their main goals.
Starting with completing the easiest tasks can help build momentum and knowledge. This momentum and knowledge can help students get through the more difficult tasks without getting demotivated.
Creating a dedicated workspace is key to eliminate distractions. This workspace should be free from unnecessary items and distractions such as phones, screens and games. Doing this can signal to the brain that it is time to work and increase focus.
In this technology-oriented world with so many distractions, time management for students is more important than ever. By time blocking, learning to say no, using technology for productivity and overcoming procrastination, students will be able to get the most out of their days and unlock their full academic potential. Time management is a skill that can be learnt like any other, but learning skills takes time, research and consistence. We have done the research, but it is up to the student to implement these strategies consistently and over a long period of time so they can make the most of their time today.
