Time management is always difficult, especially when you’re in post-secondary and school isn’t the only thing you’re dealing with. Here are five tips and tricks to help you create a balance between your social and academic lives.
Know Your Deadlines
The absolute first stage of effectively managing your time is knowing exactly what you have to do and what can wait until later. As obvious and straightforward as this may sound, some students, including myself, tend to leave the most important deadlines until the night before. Not only is this going to affect the quality of your work, but it will also affect your overall grade.
An easy way to overcome this issue is to note down exactly how much time you have before your assignment is due and how much time it will take out of your schedule. Once each and every task has been written down based on due date and time, proceed to step two.
Create a Schedule/ Weekly To-Do List
Whether you’re someone who uses a pin-up calendar, a school timetable, your phone, or an agenda, START PLANNING! Find the organizational tool that works best for you and plan out absolutely EVERYTHING. Living in such a tech savvy world, there are a million apps designed to help you stay organized. Realize how many resources are available to you for free and put them to good use!
Find time for socializing, but also make sure that you get enough sleep. Most people need between seven to eight hours of sleep every night to remain focused and alert during planned study periods.
Be Realistic
When sitting down and planning your upcoming schedule it is super important to be realistic in terms of what you can and cannot do in 24 hours. As a full-time student, you’re expected to dedicate 35 hours a week to university studies, including the time you spend in seminars and lectures. If you decide not to go to a lecture or two, use that time for independent study instead of sleeping in.
Be flexible with some of the times and deadlines in your schedule. Don’t mark down two major assignments to be done one after the other. BREATHE. Remember that tasks often take longer than expected so allow yourself that extra wiggle room.
Avoid Procrastination and Distraction
This one may seem obvious, everyone knows the best way to stay on task is not to get distracted, but it’s not that easy. Why would you want to start working right now when you could finish that quick Netflix episode first? Let’s be real, when has one episode not meant five?
One way to avoid procrastination is to think about the different places you have been when studying. Where were you the most focused? Where were you most distracted? Is there anything you can do to make studying somewhat enjoyable? Find what works for you and roll with it; not everyone studies and learns the same way and that’s totally okay!
Reflect
It is so important to reflect on your weekly schedule, to check whether you stayed on track or wandered somewhere off into the far future. Keeping a constant eye on your schedule can help you to sort out what needs to be done. Let’s say you are ahead of your schedule, then reassess your plan and make some more time for friends and family. If you are behind on your schedule, reevaluate what needs to be done and see which deadlines or tasks can be pushed slightly back. (NOTE: Do NOT get into the habit of constantly pushing back deadlines).
Trying to find that balance between family, friends, school work, your job and any activities you’re involved in is definitely not an easy task. However, if you follow these tips and figure out a routine that works for you, you’ll be able to spend enough time getting work done so that you can enjoy your free time.