Time Management Strategies and Skills
Feeling overwhelmed? Do you often wish there were more hours in the day? We all feel like we could use a little more time, but if you are causing yourself undue stress, you could benefit from better time management strategies.
Time Management is the process of organizing the activities of your life. It requires a high level of self-discipline and is crucial for academic success. Developing effective time management skills can make all the difference in your overall well-being.
Characteristics of Students with Poor Time Management Skills:
- If a student tends to miss assignments, tests, classes and usually feel stressed and rushed:
- They may gain the reputation of being forgetful and unreliable.
- They exhibit a lack of preparedness for exams, which is often confused with test anxiety.
- They feel constant stress from time-crunches, which can cause illness and irritability.
The first step is to identify how you are using your time: How much time is devoted to friends, family, work, etc.? Do any of these conflict heavily with your school work/study time and, if so, to what extent?
Organizing and prioritizing your time is crucial to your academic success.
Here are some helpful hints for better time management
- Set aside blocks of study time
- Schedule weekly reviews and updates
- Prioritize assignments
- Develop alternative study places free from distractions
- Use your time wisely
- Review notes and readings just before class
- Review lecture material immediately after class
- Schedule time for critical course events
- Make a “To Do” list
- Use a planner