A Three-step Plan for Student Time Management ...

Very simple but very effective.

Make a note of every job you need to do. Add to your list through the day, and scratch off the things that you have done. You will find that you never really get your entire list finished. There is always going to be things left of your list to do, but if you save up your lists over two weeks you will be able to look back at all things you have scratched off of your lists and you will realize just how much you have gotten done over the last fortnight.

This is an addition to the use of a to-do list. You will often find that your to-do list is filled with little tasks and a few big ones. If you take on a big one then very little gets scratched off of your list. You will find yourself very under motivated. So you need to break down bigger jobs into smaller chunks. So if for example, you are going to decorate your dorm room you could write “decorate dorm room”, or you could write, “clear room”, “put down dust sheets”, “put on overalls”, “Paint ceiling”, “eat whilst paint dries.” Not only is this a good motivator, it is also a good way of making sure that your plan progresses one step at a time. You will not find yourself trying to put down dust sheets in a half-cleared room--wearing your overalls that you have not buttoned up yet, with a sandwich in one hand.

The best time management device on the planet is a time budget. It is a little like a to-do list but has set time parameters. You estimate how long a task will take. You give yourself a 10% time leeway each side (over and under) and you add it into your time budget. You add in 30 minutes every 2.5 hours to account for distractions and break periods, and you have a working time budget. Now all you need to do is stick to it. The best way to stick to it is to make it easy to follow. Set yourself a strict and difficult time budget and you set yourself up to fail. Understand that you cannot do everything in one day; even when it comes to your essays. Don’t waste time writing them yourself. Use a writing service and let them do it for you, then use the time that you save on studying your books for your finals. This is a far better use of your time.