5 Time Management Strategies to Help You Study
Michael Yi
Managing your time effectively is essential for achieving academic success. Whether you’re taking an online course or attending in-person classes, proper time management skills can help you stay organised, reduce stress, and improve your learning experience.
These are five proven strategies that will help you make the most of your time, optimise your learning and achieve academic success.
1. Set clear goals and priorities
Before getting stuck into your workload, it’s crucial to lay down a roadmap of clear objectives. Identify the homework and assessments that need immediate focus and set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound) goals to help keep you organised. Prioritising tasks by their deadlines and urgency, and establishing what’s both important and time-sensitive is another great way to do this.
Having a detailed, prioritised to-do list serves as the perfect guide, directing you to allocate time effectively and highlighting achievements as you tick those tasks off, boosting your motivation with each step forward.
2. Create a study schedule
A study schedule isn’t just a list of subjects and the days you plan to tackle them; it’s a plan that balances consistency and variety. Start by allocating specific blocks of time to each subject, factoring in the learning pace of what takes more time and what takes less time.
Our minds thrive on structure as it helps us build understanding. Be specific in your planning—break down each study session into 25 or 50-minute intervals followed by short breaks. Tools like the Pomodoro Technique can aid in this, offering not just a schedule but a rhythm to your study day that encourages deep focus and motivation.
3. Eliminate distractions
Social media, household chatter, and endless email notifications can be detrimental to study sessions. When going against distractions, preparation is your best friend.
Going silent or ‘grey’ online, setting study-specific apps that block internet access, or setting up a study space where you can concentrate properly, are great ways to eliminate or minimise distractions.
4. Use time-blocking techniques
Time blocking is structuring your day into segments, each dedicated to a specific task or type of work. This method helps minimise multitasking temptations and lets you focus on one thing at a time.
Start by identifying the most critical tasks or subjects, and allocating blocks of time for them according to their urgency, complexity, and length. You can also reserve specific times of the day for various types of work like studying, responding to emails, or taking breaks.
5. Practice effective task management
Once you’ve set aside a dedicated study area and established a well-structured schedule, the question remains: how do you stay focused and on track?
Effective task management is key, as it involves breaking down large tasks into smaller tasks. Start by chunking down your assessments or homework into manageable sections, and setting deadlines for each. Incorporate tools that track your progress, such as to-do lists or planner apps, to keep your eyes on what’s next.
As the educational landscape evolves, time management remains a staple part of learning. By investing your time in employing these five strategies, you’re not just ‘cramming’ for success – you’re crafting successful learning habits.
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