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Time management is a perennial problem for most students.
Why?
Because this skill is about more than pure planning and to-do list writing. Time management involves numerous skills, including self-awareness, decision-making, focus, prioritization, communication, and stress management.
It’s challenging for a young person in college to master all these skills fast and organize their time effectively. They struggle with an academic overload, often delegating assignments to a professional college essay writer; they struggle with finding time for extracurricular activities, social life, and hobbies; they struggle to find a work-life balance.
For those living alone, time management becomes extra challenging:
No one is nearby to support, motivate, and remind them of planned activities or the need to rest or eat. How can these students make friends with time? The below time management techniques will help.
1. Establish Routines
Living alone, you have to organize everything, including housework stuff. You save time and feel less frustrated when you establish routines for little things like washing dishes right after using them or picking out your clothes the night before.
- Make it a habit to pack your bag in the evening for more time in the morning.
- Pitch trash and papers each night instead of digging through a mess and spending time on a lengthy cleaning session.
- Put dirty clothes in a washing machine so you don’t have to look for socks and T-shirts all over the apartment when laundry day and hour comes.
Such tiny details seem insignificant, but they make you more organized and save you more time in the long run.
2. Prioritize With “Today, Maybe Today, Tomorrow”
This time management technique helps schedule everything and create actionable to-do lists that work.
Take a sheet of paper and write three columns:
- Today, for the tasks you must complete today
- Maybe Today, for the duties you’d like to get done today
- Tomorrow, for the tasks that can wait
Start with the Today column and move to Maybe Today if you have time and energy left after you’ve completed the must-do’s. This technique will make you feel organized and productive, especially during busy college periods (heavy projects, midterms, or finals).
Some know this technique as the 3-5-7 method:
You choose three tasks you must do today and continue until you finish them. Next, you move to five tasks that would be nice to get done. Finally, check seven responsibilities that aren’t essential for the day but should be on your radar — and reorganize them for later.
3.. Use Your Productive Triggers
While most people focus on time wasters and try hard to eliminate distractions for more efficient work, productive triggers can better motivate sticking to your plans and schedules.
They are things (activities and habits) that motivate you to work harder and come closer to achieving your goals. Identify what triggers you to faster complete tasks from your to-do list:
- Strict deadlines (Some people work better under pressure.)
- Reward anticipation (Promise yourself a reward for a complete task: a chocolate bar, a visit to a cinema, a walk with friends, or any other favorable future event. The expectation of this reward will serve as an incentive to finish work faster.)
- Time of the day (If you work better and feel more productive in the morning, organize your study schedule accordingly; the same is accurate for “night owls.”)
- Music (Do you write college essays and other assignments better with calm music in your earphones? Turn it on when working.)
- Alternative workspace (Do you notice better productivity when you study in a library, cafe, or any other place outside your apartment? Go there to complete tasks faster and save time for more activities.)
4. Try a Time Tracker
You’ll manage time better when you know how long it actually takes you to complete each type of task. Use a time tracker to measure where your time goes:
- How long do you write an essay?
- How long does it take to research and find sources for a thesis?
- How many hours do you spend on time wasters like scrolling social media feeds?
Be honest with yourself — and you’ll see what drains your time the most. Reorganize your schedule accordingly for better productivity and time management.
Do you remember Parkinson’s Law?
It states that “work expands to fill the available time.” It means that if you give yourself five hours to finish a task you could do in two, you’ll spend five hours on it. With that in mind, give yourself the right time to complete every task on your to-do list.
Over to You
Whatever time management technique you choose to organize your day, remember about self-care. Sleep well, eat healthy food, and leave time for physical exercises in your schedule:
No technique will work if you feel tired, frustrated, and burnt out.