Time Management Tips

One of the more difficult aspects of being a student is learning how to manage your time. It can feel impossible sometimes to juggle classes, studying, projects, clubs, activities, friends, sleep, and more when there’s only 24 hours in a day. Thankfully, we have some tips and advice that could help you feel more in control of your time and allow more to fit into your busy schedule.

Tools to use

If you’re feeling overwhelmed about scheduling, take a breath – there are plenty of different resources that you could use to help. Some of the tools that may help you include: 

• Agendas
• Physical calendars
• Whiteboard calendars
• Phone calendars
• Phone apps
• Sticky notes 

Everyone’s brain works differently – some people may need to use 3 of these tools together to stay organized, and others may only need a note stuck onto the fridge to keep track of their schedule. Don’t be afraid of a little trial and error – try to dedicate some patience to seeing what tools and methods work best for you. 

Determine priorities 

Before you start filling slots on your schedule, it may be a good idea to determine which functions and events take priority over others. This skill becomes especially helpful when you have multiple different scheduling conflicts, and you have to make tough decisions on which options to decline. Sometimes these decisions may seem more obvious, like choosing to study the night before an exam instead of going to a movie with friends, while others may be a bit more difficult. While it would be ideal to be able to attend everything, sometimes priorities may help us see the bigger picture and make the best possible choice. 

Find time savers 

While we only have 24 hours in a day, that doesn’t mean we can’t do things to find some extra time in our schedules. Finding ways to multitask and combine projects could be a great way to save time and create opportunities to add other events to your calendar. There are a lot of time-saving hacks that could open pockets in your schedule, including: 

• Studying/doing homework on your commute (if you take public transit)
• Functional hangouts
• Listen to study podcasts/videos while you workout
• Watch study videos while meal-prepping for the week

The bottom line

Managing your time effectively doesn’t have to be as daunting as it seems. Finding the right tools for you and determining what you prioritize most could make a huge difference in the way you approach planning and scheduling, and finding different ways to save and maximize your time may just be the icing on the cake. Remember, while these are all important steps, it is just as important to have patience and continue to put these methods into practice. Once you’re able to make your scheduling strategies habits, effective time management could easily become second nature.