Trying to balance your time can be a real pain in the you-know-what! Especially for students like you, who have a million and one things to get done and hardly any time to do them.
But there is always light at the end of the tunnel. By identifying and using some simple time management tools that will improve your ability to manage your time effectively, you can quickly start freeing up more free time than you realized was possible.
Tip number one - start using to-do lists. It's far easier to remember what you need to get done by writing it down and then prioritizing the list you create. It's no good just trying to remember everything in your head - you need to start making to-do lists! Make sure when you create the list you create it with very specific actionable steps that you are going to take. For example, don't write "Start Maths homework", but instead write "Do first 3 questions of Maths homework". See the difference? If you have vague items it will only lead to uncertainty about what the task means and further procrastination problems.
Tip number two - create some goals and stick to them like super glue (like the one that always get stuck on your fingers) Have you actually created some goals for yourself? Do you know exactly what you are working towards and why? If not, what are you working towards? Are you simply trying to get better? Or maybe just trying to get a pass and move on? If you want to make good use of your time you need to know exactly what you want to get out of whatever you are doing. For example, if you sit down for an hour to study you should know what you're trying to complete within that hour. So start setting small goals and make proper use of your time.
Tip number three - lower your expectations. We all want to shoot for the stars - but don't put unreasonable pressure on yourself for no good reason. If you're taking too much on and it's taking too long because your expectations are way too high (for example, if you believe that nothing less than an A+ average for all your subjects is the only acceptable standard) then as soon as you slip under that extremely high standard a major meltdown will occur. So be committed to your ambition but not attached to every single outcome. If you are, you will spend way too much time focusing on things that don't always matter.
Tip number four - do what counts. A major trap we all fall into is trying to do everything that's assigned. But that's actually a waste of your time. You should do only what you know counts towards your final grades. If a paper is worth 50% then spend lots and lots of time on it. If your homework is not worth grades but must be handed in - then make sure you hand it in - but don't spend as much time on it as anything that counts towards your final grade. Find out what counts the most and give that the most time. Worrying about everything will only drive you nuts!
Tip number five - focus on one thing at a time. When you focus on multiple things at once there is a strong tendency to start all tasks but get nothing completed. Not only that, but your work also tends to be of a lesser quality because you are not focusing. That is a poor use of time. Just complete the tasks one after the other in a sequence and you'll find that things get completed quicker and with more awesomeness.
But there is always light at the end of the tunnel. By identifying and using some simple time management tools that will improve your ability to manage your time effectively, you can quickly start freeing up more free time than you realized was possible.
Tip number one - start using to-do lists. It's far easier to remember what you need to get done by writing it down and then prioritizing the list you create. It's no good just trying to remember everything in your head - you need to start making to-do lists! Make sure when you create the list you create it with very specific actionable steps that you are going to take. For example, don't write "Start Maths homework", but instead write "Do first 3 questions of Maths homework". See the difference? If you have vague items it will only lead to uncertainty about what the task means and further procrastination problems.
Tip number two - create some goals and stick to them like super glue (like the one that always get stuck on your fingers) Have you actually created some goals for yourself? Do you know exactly what you are working towards and why? If not, what are you working towards? Are you simply trying to get better? Or maybe just trying to get a pass and move on? If you want to make good use of your time you need to know exactly what you want to get out of whatever you are doing. For example, if you sit down for an hour to study you should know what you're trying to complete within that hour. So start setting small goals and make proper use of your time.
Tip number three - lower your expectations. We all want to shoot for the stars - but don't put unreasonable pressure on yourself for no good reason. If you're taking too much on and it's taking too long because your expectations are way too high (for example, if you believe that nothing less than an A+ average for all your subjects is the only acceptable standard) then as soon as you slip under that extremely high standard a major meltdown will occur. So be committed to your ambition but not attached to every single outcome. If you are, you will spend way too much time focusing on things that don't always matter.
Tip number four - do what counts. A major trap we all fall into is trying to do everything that's assigned. But that's actually a waste of your time. You should do only what you know counts towards your final grades. If a paper is worth 50% then spend lots and lots of time on it. If your homework is not worth grades but must be handed in - then make sure you hand it in - but don't spend as much time on it as anything that counts towards your final grade. Find out what counts the most and give that the most time. Worrying about everything will only drive you nuts!
Tip number five - focus on one thing at a time. When you focus on multiple things at once there is a strong tendency to start all tasks but get nothing completed. Not only that, but your work also tends to be of a lesser quality because you are not focusing. That is a poor use of time. Just complete the tasks one after the other in a sequence and you'll find that things get completed quicker and with more awesomeness.
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