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Time management involves the ability to plan and then manage your time during the day in order to achieve your goals. It’s an important skill during any part of life, but it can be particularly important for students who are trying to juggle the demands of their academic studies with other obligations, including work, family, and friends.Do you ever feel like you’re trying to squeeze too much into one day? Are there just not enough hours to accomplish all of the things you need to do? Time management can be a tricky skill to learn.Some people seem to have a knack for juggling a broad range of commitments while still leaving plenty of time for friends, family, and hobbies. Others struggle just to finish the bare minimum each day.In order to stay on top of all your obligations and reach your goals, effective time management is essential.
Time management involves the ability to plan and then manage your time during the day in order to achieve your goals. It’s an important skill during any part of life, but it can be particularly important for students who are trying to juggle the demands of their academic studies with other obligations, including work, family, and friends.
Do you ever feel like you’re trying to squeeze too much into one day? Are there just not enough hours to accomplish all of the things you need to do? Time management can be a tricky skill to learn.
Some people seem to have a knack for juggling a broad range of commitments while still leaving plenty of time for friends, family, and hobbies. Others struggle just to finish the bare minimum each day.
In order to stay on top of all your obligations and reach your goals, effective time management is essential.
1Keep Track of Your Daily ActivitiesHill Street Studios / Blend Images / Getty ImagesBefore you develop an effective time management strategy, you first need to record and analyze how you are currently spending your time each day. Keep track of your daily activities for several days.Note what you’re doing.Write down exactly what you are doing at each point of the day and note how long you spend on each activity.Watch for problems.Pay attention to see which “time wasters” are eating up your free time.Consider ways to improve.Think about ways you might be able to streamline or consolidate certain tasks in order to free up more of your time.A daily planner or calendar can be a good way to start tracking your time, but there are also plenty of online resources as well. Mobile apps can be a particularly great way to track your daily activities. Find something that works for you and then stick with it.
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Keep Track of Your Daily ActivitiesHill Street Studios / Blend Images / Getty ImagesBefore you develop an effective time management strategy, you first need to record and analyze how you are currently spending your time each day. Keep track of your daily activities for several days.Note what you’re doing.Write down exactly what you are doing at each point of the day and note how long you spend on each activity.Watch for problems.Pay attention to see which “time wasters” are eating up your free time.Consider ways to improve.Think about ways you might be able to streamline or consolidate certain tasks in order to free up more of your time.A daily planner or calendar can be a good way to start tracking your time, but there are also plenty of online resources as well. Mobile apps can be a particularly great way to track your daily activities. Find something that works for you and then stick with it.
Keep Track of Your Daily Activities
Hill Street Studios / Blend Images / Getty Images
Before you develop an effective time management strategy, you first need to record and analyze how you are currently spending your time each day. Keep track of your daily activities for several days.
A daily planner or calendar can be a good way to start tracking your time, but there are also plenty of online resources as well. Mobile apps can be a particularly great way to track your daily activities. Find something that works for you and then stick with it.
2Evaluate Your PrioritiesIn order to manage your time effectively, it is important to first understand some of the problems that might be causing issues. By taking a serious look at how you spend your time each week, you’ll be able to see areas where you lose significant amounts of time.After keeping track of your schedule for a few days, you might be surprised to see just how much time is wasted each week. Common time wasters might include:Checking emailDealing with clutter and disorganizationPlaying video gamesSocial mediaUnnecessary interruptions from friends, family, or coworkersWatching televisionEven if you are only spending a little bit of time on each of these activities, it can add up quickly. Over time, even these small sources of distraction can start interfering with your ability to accomplish the tasks you want to get done.By prioritizing how youreallywant to spend your time, you’ll be far more productive, accomplish more, and even have time left over for the hobbies you enjoy.
2
Evaluate Your PrioritiesIn order to manage your time effectively, it is important to first understand some of the problems that might be causing issues. By taking a serious look at how you spend your time each week, you’ll be able to see areas where you lose significant amounts of time.After keeping track of your schedule for a few days, you might be surprised to see just how much time is wasted each week. Common time wasters might include:Checking emailDealing with clutter and disorganizationPlaying video gamesSocial mediaUnnecessary interruptions from friends, family, or coworkersWatching televisionEven if you are only spending a little bit of time on each of these activities, it can add up quickly. Over time, even these small sources of distraction can start interfering with your ability to accomplish the tasks you want to get done.By prioritizing how youreallywant to spend your time, you’ll be far more productive, accomplish more, and even have time left over for the hobbies you enjoy.
Evaluate Your Priorities
In order to manage your time effectively, it is important to first understand some of the problems that might be causing issues. By taking a serious look at how you spend your time each week, you’ll be able to see areas where you lose significant amounts of time.
After keeping track of your schedule for a few days, you might be surprised to see just how much time is wasted each week. Common time wasters might include:
Even if you are only spending a little bit of time on each of these activities, it can add up quickly. Over time, even these small sources of distraction can start interfering with your ability to accomplish the tasks you want to get done.
By prioritizing how youreallywant to spend your time, you’ll be far more productive, accomplish more, and even have time left over for the hobbies you enjoy.
3
Establish a Schedule
You might opt to spend a specific amount of time each day completing assignments and studying, or you might instead set aside certain days for different tasks.
For example, you might complete assigned readings on Mondays, review your notes on Tuesday, complete homework on Wednesday and Thursday, and leave Fridays open for various things that you would like to focus on a bit more.
4Get OrganizedNow that you have a schedule in place, it is time to get organized and stop wasting time looking for all the things you need to succeed. If you are a student, for example, getting all of your books, notes, writing tools, and other needed supplies and storing them in one place can be helpful.Collect your tools. Make sure you have all of the supplies you need.Organize your work area. Make sure you have a comfortable place to work that is free of distractions.Visualize your schedule. Get a wall calendar or print out a copy of your daily schedule and post it in a visible place. Having clear reminders of what you need to get done each day can keep you on task.
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Get OrganizedNow that you have a schedule in place, it is time to get organized and stop wasting time looking for all the things you need to succeed. If you are a student, for example, getting all of your books, notes, writing tools, and other needed supplies and storing them in one place can be helpful.Collect your tools. Make sure you have all of the supplies you need.Organize your work area. Make sure you have a comfortable place to work that is free of distractions.Visualize your schedule. Get a wall calendar or print out a copy of your daily schedule and post it in a visible place. Having clear reminders of what you need to get done each day can keep you on task.
Get Organized
Now that you have a schedule in place, it is time to get organized and stop wasting time looking for all the things you need to succeed. If you are a student, for example, getting all of your books, notes, writing tools, and other needed supplies and storing them in one place can be helpful.
5
Stop Multitasking
While it might seem like doing many things at once would help you get more done, research suggests thatmultitaskinghurts both productivity and performance. Multitasking can happen in a few different ways:
What researchers have found is that having to constantly shift your attention from one thing to another diminishes your ability to work quickly and consistently.
Instead of trying to tackle several things at the same time, try setting aside time to focus on each task separately.
6Set Aside Time to RelaxYou know what they say about all work and no play. Be sure to add a little time for leisure activities each week. Research has shown that leisure activities can be important for mental well-being. Many of these activities, such as exercising, participating in sports, and socializing, have their own physical and mental health benefits as well.TipSave your rest and relaxation for the end of the week to give yourself something to look forward to as you complete tasks that are not quite so enjoyable.Waiting until the end of the week also ensures that you won’t have so many deadlines or other worries looming over your head and interfering with your leisure time.A Word From VerywellFinding time for everything can be tough, especially for busy students who are juggling class lectures, homework, and study groups along with all of their other duties. By implementing some useful time management techniques, you’ll be able to finish all of your obligations and still have time for friends, family, and fun.Time Management for Working Students
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Set Aside Time to RelaxYou know what they say about all work and no play. Be sure to add a little time for leisure activities each week. Research has shown that leisure activities can be important for mental well-being. Many of these activities, such as exercising, participating in sports, and socializing, have their own physical and mental health benefits as well.TipSave your rest and relaxation for the end of the week to give yourself something to look forward to as you complete tasks that are not quite so enjoyable.Waiting until the end of the week also ensures that you won’t have so many deadlines or other worries looming over your head and interfering with your leisure time.A Word From VerywellFinding time for everything can be tough, especially for busy students who are juggling class lectures, homework, and study groups along with all of their other duties. By implementing some useful time management techniques, you’ll be able to finish all of your obligations and still have time for friends, family, and fun.Time Management for Working Students
Set Aside Time to Relax
You know what they say about all work and no play. Be sure to add a little time for leisure activities each week. Research has shown that leisure activities can be important for mental well-being. Many of these activities, such as exercising, participating in sports, and socializing, have their own physical and mental health benefits as well.
TipSave your rest and relaxation for the end of the week to give yourself something to look forward to as you complete tasks that are not quite so enjoyable.
Tip
Save your rest and relaxation for the end of the week to give yourself something to look forward to as you complete tasks that are not quite so enjoyable.
Waiting until the end of the week also ensures that you won’t have so many deadlines or other worries looming over your head and interfering with your leisure time.
A Word From Verywell
Finding time for everything can be tough, especially for busy students who are juggling class lectures, homework, and study groups along with all of their other duties. By implementing some useful time management techniques, you’ll be able to finish all of your obligations and still have time for friends, family, and fun.
Time Management for Working Students
2 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Madore KP, Wagner AD.Multicosts of multitasking.Cerebrum. 2019;2019:cer-04-19.Mansfield L, Daykin N, Kay T.Leisure and wellbeing.Leisure Stud. 2020;39(1):1-10. doi:10.1080/02614367.2020.1713195
2 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Madore KP, Wagner AD.Multicosts of multitasking.Cerebrum. 2019;2019:cer-04-19.Mansfield L, Daykin N, Kay T.Leisure and wellbeing.Leisure Stud. 2020;39(1):1-10. doi:10.1080/02614367.2020.1713195
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Madore KP, Wagner AD.Multicosts of multitasking.Cerebrum. 2019;2019:cer-04-19.Mansfield L, Daykin N, Kay T.Leisure and wellbeing.Leisure Stud. 2020;39(1):1-10. doi:10.1080/02614367.2020.1713195
Madore KP, Wagner AD.Multicosts of multitasking.Cerebrum. 2019;2019:cer-04-19.
Mansfield L, Daykin N, Kay T.Leisure and wellbeing.Leisure Stud. 2020;39(1):1-10. doi:10.1080/02614367.2020.1713195
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