Productivity is something that most college students struggle with. Most students try to study alone, at the library, or at local coffee shops and before we know it our phones and surroundings have distracted us. We go from taking a five minute break to taking an hour-long break to watch YouTube videos. Although productivity is an issue for many college students, it is truly the most important skill to gain. To improve my own productivity I have tried many things, but these are the things that I have found most helpful.
BRAIN DUMP:
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The first thing that I do before I begin any school work is to dump any tasks, thoughts and feelings that are in my head onto a piece of paper. These things can be written in any form such as a paragraph, bullet points or even thought bubbles. Once you write down everything on a piece of paper you are able to visually see everything that you need to finish.
PRIORITIZE:
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What many of us are used to hearing is that when starting work you should work on the tasks that are the hardest to complete or begin the things that are the easiest to complete. While this may work for some people I have found that this method has not worked for me. While learning to be productive I have learned that not all tasks are created equal. Instead I think of the 80/20 rule (Pareto Principle). This rule means that 20% of the effort that you put into any work will yield 80% of your results. So when thinking of my future goals and deadlines that need to be met I ask myself “What can I do to help me be more productive today?” Knowing what the most important tasks is to you will help you fulfill the 80/20 rule.
ORGANIZE:
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Now that you have brain dumped and prioritized the tasks that you need to do it’s time to organize everything. The most important thing that has helped me stay organized in school has been my planner. I’m sure that you have seen this tip everywhere but it is my holy grail. With my planner I am able to plan on the monthly spread, plan day to day and visually see the things I need to do. My favorite thing about my planner is crossing off everything that I have finished. Seeing everything crossed off indicates that I was being productive and completed everything that was important. Once you are able to visually see what you need to do, begin these tasks in a clean area that is designated specifically for studying. Being in this space should make you feel focused and help you to be productive.
These are the tips that I use to help me with productivity and hopefully they will be helpful for you, too. Use these tips to help you refresh and be productive for the remainder of the semester!