Managing Your Time Efficiently, Your College Guide

College can be rough. That’s a fact. 

There are a lot of reports, term papers, exams, and you still have to maintain your social life. Perhaps you might think that 24 hours a day isn’t enough. Well, to tell you frankly, those who do not manage their time wisely feel the same way. Fortunately, you have found this page because we can help you use your time efficiently. That way, you can maximize every second and be able to reach your goals. 

Identify Your Time Wasters 

You are probably aware of the Marie Kondo method, which is basically decluttering things you don’t need and keeping the ones that spark joy. Let’s use the same principle by identifying the activities you feel are just wasting your time and doing little to nothing for your self-development. List it down. 

Perhaps, you’ve been watching too much Netflix. Or maybe, you are browsing your social media every hour. We are not saying that you have to eliminate these things in your life. After all, little breaks could help too. But if it eats a significant portion of your day, then you have to reassess. 

Determine Your Goals 

What is it that you want to achieve? What could be your ultimate prize? Do you want to get a grade higher than 3.5? Would you like to build a network that could help you land on your dream job? 

You have to determine your goals so that you can also identify the activities that can help you achieve it. It will be clear what are the things you have to focus on, therefore maximizing your time and efforts. 

Know When You are Most Productive 

If you must know, some people are productive in the morning, while others could focus more at night time. Know yourself and see where you function the most. From there, plot the hardest tasks according to your most productive time of the day. 

Check Your Term Calendar 

The term calendar is given to students for a purpose. Use it to your advantage.

At the beginning of the semester, try to evaluate your term calendar. Check your exam schedules and other events. That’s how you can create a plan. In addition, you can refer to your syllabi and know the subjects covered in the exam. That way, you can study in advance, and there is no need to cram. 

Never Miss Your Class

Unless you are sick, you should never miss your class. It is more time-consuming catching up on your missed lessons. You have to be disciplined and try not to party on a school night. This might seem too obvious, but many college students are guilty of skipping class for outrageous reasons.  

Break Down Overwhelming Tasks 

We understand that some of our professors would give us challenging tasks that would require extensive research. But the thing is, they do not give it a day before the submission. Chances are, they already provided the requirements weeks before the deadline. Unfortunately, we are so used to cram, and we think we can work on it overnight. Remember, this is not highschool. In college, your reports and term papers must be substantial and provide value. Thus, research is necessary. It’s not easy, but doable if you manage your time. 

So, here’s the trick. When you are given a challenging assignment, do not look at it as a whole. Believe it or not, it could lead to procrastination because we naturally want to avoid overwhelming tasks. 

What you can do is to break this assignment into smaller sub-tasks. Perhaps, schedule one day to create an outline. And then set another day to do your research. The next days would be for drafting your assignment, and before you know it, you are already proofreading your work. 

Turn Off Notifications

Productive experts recommend that you should turn off your notifications if you want to improve your focus. Whether you like it or not, it is distracting to see a small window popping on your computer screen. You will naturally lose your train of thought, and you will go back to square one. 

Set a time wherein you shut down your notification and do your work non-stop. 

Take Short Breaks 

Our brain needs to rest too. If you overuse it, you will notice that you will be less productive. Don’t forget to eat snacks because hunger can definitely affect the way we think. This is also to remind you that to manage your time effectively and efficiently, you must maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

How can you expect to finish a quality report if you are sick? It may sound odd but our overall health really affects our productivity. 

During your short breaks, you can take a walk, relax, or meditate. 

Be Flexible 

While we encourage you to stick to your schedule and plans, there are times that you need to change it. Maybe there are emergencies or additional reports that you have to finish. In that case, you have to flexible enough and learn how you can play around with your schedule. 

Learn How to Delegate 

And lastly, if it is too much for you already, you can always ask help. There are people who could help you with your reports, assignments, and even your online classes. Take advantage of those.