Time Management Tips for Students
It seems that there are two cases where time management is needed. One is there is never enough time or there is enough time in the day. But, since we all get the same 24 hours, why is it that some people achieve so much more with their time than others? The answer lies in good time management. Good time management requires an important shift in focus from activities to results: being busy isn’t the same as being effective. “Time management” refers to the way that you organize and plan how long you spend on specific activities. “Time management” is the way we decide to utilize our time in order to maximize our productivity in achieving certain long-term goals.
- Prepare the To Do list
The first stage of improving your time management is to list that you have to do. There are two types of goals long term & short-term goal. Make a note of how much time each priority will take out of your schedule. One of the tips for managing your time is to find the right system to actually do it. Based on urgency and importance identify the activities that need focus, activities that are important but can be done later & activities that are least important. ‘Urgent’ tasks demand your immediate attention, but whether you actually give them that attention may or may not matter. ‘Important’ tasks matter, and not doing them may have serious consequences for you or others. Enlisting the activities will make sure that you will not forget anything to do. - Create a life schedule
Prepare a daily routine schedule based on your actual timings. Start by finding out where your time goes throughout the day. Find time for socializing, sports or other area of interest but also make sure that you get enough sleep. Most people need between 7 to 8 hours sleep every night to remain focused and alert during study periods. Be flexible & realistic. With this data, you can easily find areas to improve. Spend your mornings on most important tasks of the day. Most of us find our first hour of the work the most productive – make sure to use yours wisely! Accomplishing those will give you the biggest momentum to help you sail through the rest of the day. Recall & Make to-do lists in the evening for the next day. Daily goals are easier to achieve while helping to move us towards the longer and bigger goals. Plan your week on sunday. Take a few minutes on Sunday to create a plan for your whole week. Remember – your energy and creativity levels fluctuate throughout the week. - Avoid procrastination and distraction
Do not use social media apps when studying. Incessant social media app alerts aren’t helping you with your time. Turn them off. You don’t need alerts every moment or to know everything happening with your friends. What’s most important is to have some peace of mind and be better able to focus on the task at hand. - Don’t get hung up on small details
Instead of indulging in perfectionism on small details, keep the big picture in mind. Focus on your priorities, not the minute details of your work. Address the most important tasks on your to-do list at once and then complete the small stuff remaining. The principle of Surveying – “Whole to the Part” should be used to avoid waiting period. - Make the most of waiting times.
It happens to everyone: we wait in lines, waiting rooms, bus stops, etc. You may finish small to – do list tasks in such waiting times. Answer emails on your phone, catch up on missed phone calls, stretch/exercise, relax or meditate on Japa. Carry a book or read to read or read an eBook. Don’t let unexpected queues catch you unprepared. - Organize yourself
Confusion in our thoughts & unorganised surrounding kills the focus. When we lose focus, we lose time. If you want to avoid that, declutter and organize. Start small. One drawer today. A shelf tomorrow. Maybe a closet the next day. Start organising small things around you and you will eventually find yourself turning into an organizing person. - Learn to say no.
Your time is precious. Don’t waste it on people and activities that don’t align with your mission and goals. We all are Sevekari and every Sevekari should avoid association of wrong people who may deviate us from right path. His Holiness Shree Gurumauli always says in Hitguj, “Sevekari should devote his time for the sake of noble acts!” So, instead of automatically accepting invitations and offers, say, ‘I’ll check my schedule and get back to you’. This simple phrase will buy you time to evaluate offers and make smart decisions. - Turn your mental system into habits.
Try to make habits from the ideas listed above. Practice these time management tips and create a productivity mindset. Set a reasonable schedule you can maintain over the long term (at least for six months). After a while, your daily and weekly habits will become automatic. One of the biggest time-wasters we have are our bad habits. Whether it’s excessively surfing social media, playing games, going out frequently with friends, or so on, those bad habits take away the precious little time that we do have. Use your time wisely by eliminating your bad habits if you’re serious about achieving big goals in life.