Time Management Tips That Will Work Even For An OAU Student.
If These Don't Work For You, Just Know That You Are The One Taking On More Than You Can Handle.
Introduction
As a student, there never seems to be enough time in the day. Five-hour back-to-back classes, having to manage your side business, responding to some impromptu notice for a 3-hour appointment, chores, studies and still trying to keep your social life in check. All these can get overwhelming. It seems that you can never get anything done on time and there is always some neglected problem you need to face. This ultimately leads to burnout, stress, anxiety, half-finished projects, poor academic performance and declining health.
Time Management is an essential life skill needed to balance your life as a student. Though you can't add more hours to a day as many may wish, there is a way you can train yourself to manage time to be more productive. Here are five time management tips you can start today to restore balance to your life:
Time Management Tips
1. Create a Schedule: Use a calendar or scheduling app to create a daily/weekly schedule for yourself. At the end of a day, write out a list of tasks for the next day such as classes, work projects, events, church activities and so on. Set reminders 30 minutes before to ensure you don't skip anything urgent. This way, you start a new day well-planned and organised. Examples of scheduling apps you can use are Google Calendar, Any.do, Calendly Mobile, etc.
2. Prioritize Tasks: Not all tasks require equal attention. Tasks can be important but not urgent, urgent but not important, both or neither. Categorise your tasks according to their priorities to use your time more effectively. You will find yourself less overwhelmed when you direct your efforts to tasks based on urgency or importance and recognize the things you can put aside for later. For example, washing your clothes is important but not urgent and can be fixed at any convenient time. On the other hand, an unfinished assignment due in a few hours is both important and urgent and needs to be worked on quickly.
3. Set Goals: Set clear and well-detailed goals for your academic, personal and spiritual life. These should not be vague desires but specific, actionable goals that can be broken down into tasks. For example, rather than say "I want to have a good GPA this Semester", say "I want to have a minimum of 4.5 GPA this semester, meaning that I would have to get a specific amount of As and to accomplish this, I have to set aside X amount of time to study X number of books per week". The latter is more specific and will keep you motivated and focused.
4. Time Blocking: When setting your tasks for the day, be sure to dedicate specific time-frames to focus on studies, work, socializing and so on. This helps you put full attention on your tasks, stops you from switching between activities all day and gives you a certain amount of control over time. The same way you budget limited money, you can budget your limited 24 hours a day into 4 hours of classes + 2 hours of study + 1 hour of bible study+ 2 hours of + 1 hour of cooking and so on. Make sure you set aside some free time for sleep and those unexpected occurrences.
5. Learn to Say No: While it is good to balance your studies with making money and having a social life (especially in a country with a harsh economy and a necessity to form meaningful connections for the future), it is important to know your limits. Your biggest priority as a student is to thrive academically, spiritually and take care of your health. Therefore there are times when you will have to say no to some parties when you have pressing academic deadlines or when you should be resting. In your career, there will be times when you have to say no to some contracts, slow down on the money chase and focus solely on your studies. Also, acknowledge that you can't be available for everyone and would have to say no to requests from people now and then.
Bonus Tips
- Delegate and Outsource.
- Limit Multitasking.
- Prioritize self-care.
- Use Technology Wisely.
- Seek Help and Support.
Conclusion
Thanks to technology and civilization, we live in a fast-paced world with more pressing demands and the ability to do more. It has now become easier for a Nigerian student to work for a company continents away while obtaining a degree. This has made time management is a common problem among students, as there is so much to do and so little time. However, it is important to learn how to manage time effectively to remain on track. Set goals, schedule properly, prioritize tasks and know when to let go of things. This will keep you motivated, productive and reduce the chances of burnout.
