Public Spark

Time management is important not only as an adult, but also as a student. It can be overwhelming balancing school work with part-time jobs, extracurricular activities, clubs, social functions, family, etc. Here are five tips that have worked for my colleagues and I in getting through the challenge of school.

1. Understand and accept your personality

   I’ve had friends that were procrastinators. They were the ones up all night finishing their papers, which were due the next day. While that may work for some, for me, I need more time and I cannot work effectively under that kind of pressure. I always like to work on bits and pieces and take it slow. I believe that finding your rhythm is important in making time work for you.

2. Organize and Prioritize

   No matter what type of personality you have, if you want to get things done, it is crucial to stay organized. My style is writing all the deadlines, meetings, class schedules on the online google calendar. I have them in different colors. This method is also handy when you want to share it with other people. You don’t have to show them exactly what you have planned, but you can show them your busy times. Also, when you write things visibly, you can prioritize which work needs to be done first or estimate which will take the longest. You can also see where you have free time or whether you have too much on your plate.

3. Ask for help

   Sometimes, school work takes longer than you expect. If you feel stuck or have a brain freeze, it’s important to find options. Talking to teachers, professors, T.A’s, other students, can help you get out of that “stuck” mode. Sometimes when you don’t ask for help, you can be frustrated, postpone doing the work, and then get behind. Furthermore, it can be helpful or motivational to form study groups.

4. Change location and pace

   Location is important when you want to concentrate. I sometimes found it difficult to study in my dorm room because my friends were around socializing. I would go to the library for a couple hours and then come back and enjoy the socializing. Also, location can cause unneeded multitasking. For example, I might be tempted to watch TV and during commercials complete my work. When I did this, I actually wasted 4 hours trying to get the work done, not really enjoying the TV show. I was much more efficient when I completed my school work elsewhere in an hour and then came back to fully enjoy TV.

5. It’s not about how much time you allot to the homework or projects, but how you use the time

   If you spend 8 hours doing a bad job, it’s better to use 1 hour to talk with someone if you’re confused, 2 hours to do the work. You can probably get the work done in 3 hours and do a better job. Just because you spend 8 hours on something, doesn’t mean it’s going to be good.

please share some tips that have worked for you!

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