Synopsis
- Meaning of time management
- Effective time management skills
- Importance of time management for students
- Online schooling and time management
“I don’t have the time.”
“I don’t think I can complete studying this chapter before the exam.”
“I can’t do it, I don’t have the time.”
Do these statements sound familiar? Do you hear yourself or your peers make these assertions sometimes?
Have you also, at the same time, felt that you could have done something better if you managed the time in hand better?
Time management. These simple two words can solve all the above adverse situations. Time management can be defined as the process of effectively strategizing, planning and organising your tasks with a calculated control over the amount of time spent on the task.
It also means that this amount of time spent on the task must be directly proportional to the quality of work performed.
Time management allows you to work smartly, while performing the maximum amount of work in less amount of time.
This kind of efficient management of time is very essential for students who have busy schedules during the day. Time management is the key to successful management of the day.
As the famous proverb states “Time and Tide wait for no man” it means that you have to make use of all opportunities that come your way, because time keeps passing by. Here time and tide are mentioned together because even the waves of a sea, just like time, can not be stopped. Ride the tide, do not wait for the tide to stop because that will never stop.
A day has 24 hours, and how we spend these 24 hours depends on what tasks are planned for that time. As human beings we are capable of performing certain functions.
However, how well we perform the functions depends on how well we manage our time. Adopting efficient time management skills can help students manage their busy schedules.
Without efficient time management skills, students may fall prey to stress and pressure of the system. Students will be unable to complete assignments and projects within the stipulated time.
This in turn leads to incomplete work or even if the work is submitted it may not be to the full potential of the student.
Fantastic 4 Tips for Effective Time Management
1. Set a Realistic Time Table
Setting a time table keeps you on track. A time table is a schedule of tasks that is physically recorded and must be completed within a stipulated time.
Time tables can vary according to the time. For example, you can have a time table for your days schedule or you can have a study schedule for weeks or a month.
At the same time, it is advisable to set realistic goals in your timetable. Setting unrealistic large goals will invariably lead to non fulfillment of tasks.
2. Work at A Pace and Time that Suits You the Best
Another important time management skill for students is to find out what best suits you. Every human being is different. What works for one person may not always work for another.
Take for example study schedules. Some students find that their best absorbing capacity is in the night, while other students find waking up early in the morning works best for them.
Find what best works for you and follow that pattern.
3. Know to Twist and Turn
No, we don’t expect you to enroll for a dance class to perfect your twists and turns. Here, we mean to learn to adjust to situations.
Every day is unpredictable. We never know what unforeseen situations may come up during the day.
When you have sudden events in the day, which were not anticipated, you must know to move around those situations and still manage to complete your tasks. Learn to twist and turn and arrive at desired results.
Let’s take for example, according to your timetable, you had planned to study a complete chapter in english. You just start studying, when an emergency situation arises and you have to leave the house for half an hour.
The trick is to still be able to complete that english chapter within the day even if it means a few extra minutes taken from another schedule.
4. Never Leave Anything for The Last Minute
Always plan ahead of time. A well devised and advanced preparation always works better than a last minute sprint for things.
When you plan well in advance you are in a better situation to tackle any problem that may arise. Considering the above example when you planned to study a chapter in English, if your preparation is last minute, you may not have the time to work around the unforeseen situation.
You may just lose out on studying the chapter altogether. However, if you start preparing well in advance, you have ample time to deal with unexpected and unpredictable circumstances.
Now that you are familiar with different time management strategies, let’s look at why time management skills for students are important. Let us look at the various benefits of time management for students
Importance of Time Management in A Student’s Life
Being a student is no cake walk. Student life is full of struggles. However, remember, the struggles you are in today, is developing the strength you need for tomorrow.
Managing your time as a student is one of the first steps of being a successful student. It is especially important when it comes to managing studies.
7 Important Benefits of Time Management for Students
1. Improves Productivity
Managing time efficiently increases the productivity of students. Productivity means the amount of fruitful work that can be completed within a particular period of time.
It can also mean to include efficiency. Time management allows you to plan your day and ensure all tasks are completed on time.
You May Also Like The 14 Best Productivity Apps for Students
2. Brings Discipline and Routine to Your Day
An important benefit of good time management for students is that it brings discipline and routine into your day’s schedule.
When you are able to follow a routine you will never be pressed for time. Some may say that following a routine eventually means you are a slave to time.
Being a slave to time is not necessarily a negative quality. However, being able to bring about flexibility in case of any unforeseen situation, must also be part of this discipline or routine.
3. More Time on Hands
One of the benefits of good time management for students is that it lets students have extra time for leisure or pleasure activities.
Good planning ahead of time and keeping up with the schedule allows students to plan for some fun activities too. Without planning students will not be able to gain this extra time.
It is important to have extra time on your hands in a day because this time can be utilised for leisure activities like hobbies or a good time with friends.
Actively participating in extracurricular activities has a positive effect on students. However, for students, with their busy schedules, participating in extracurricular activities is possible only with effective time management strategies.
A research article published in research gate and written by Najum Tariq of the National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad,Pakistan has stated that the students who actively participate in extracurricular activities get a lot of benefits including higher grades, and test scores, higher educational achievements, more regularity in class attendance and higher self-confidence. While out-of-school activities increase leadership and teamwork abilities in students. These activities also decrease the use of drugs, alcohol and behavioral and disciplinary problems related to their use.
4. Health and Happiness Galore
Believe it or not, adopting time management tips and tricks makes you healthy and happy. You may ask how time management makes you healthy.
Well, think of it this way- with effective time management, you will be able to finish and submit assignments on time without staying up late and eating into your sleep time.
Good sleep ensures a healthy lifestyle. According to an article published in Augusta Health, healthy sleeping habits have a positive effect on the quality of life.
The American Psychological Association has found that more sleep makes us healthier, happier and safer.
5. Time Management Is a Money Saver
Another importance of time management is that it saves money and energy. Let’s explain this with the help of an example.
You have been given an assignment to complete by your college professor. The assignment involves research and investigation work.
For this research work, you need to travel to different areas of the city in order to gather information. You travel to one end of the city to gather your information, then travel to another end to gather the next piece of information.
Suddenly you realise you need to visit another person in the area you first visited. Now going back there would be a sheer waste of time. Something which you could have clubbed with your first visit has now cost you a waste of time, money and energy.
Whereas when you plan ahead of time, you can make a note of all the work which can be completed in one area and then move on to another area. This saves you the time and money spent on travelling.
6. Time Management Means Exam Ready
The significance of study time management implies that you always be exam ready and not depend on last minute studies.
7. Special Focus on Online Schooling and Time Management
With online schooling becoming the norm now, students are more prone to distractions. Time management for online schools has become difficult for students.
Following all the above tips can help students overcome all the difficulties of online school and manage time well. One of the biggest distractions of online schooling is the presence of social media.
With easy access to devices and the internet, students are often distracted by social media platforms that take up most of their time.
The first and foremost tip for time management for students is to stay away from social media platforms. Steering away from these social media platforms saves time.
This time that has been saved can be utilised for more purposeful events like studying, completing assignments and homework or even interactions with family with friends.
Conclusion
Benefits of time management skills can be seen from the importance of time management for students as explained above.
Always remember , student life is the seed of your life, plant it wisely. Plan your time effectively and you will be able to see success at the end of the tunnel.
