Some other general tips for managing your time. If you can establish good time management practices as a learner, they'll help you in later life too.
Set out specific times for your tasks and stick to your plan. Time constraints will help you focus and be more productive within a set time.
It's important to factor in time for you to relax, and to do activities that you enjoy too.
Do you concentrate best in the morning or are you hopeless before lunch? Work out which times are better for studying and which are best for organising or other tasks that require less mental effort or concentration
Multitasking may seem like a good idea and may seem necessary in today's hectic world, but the truth of the matter is that you’ll get more done by focusing your energy and time on completing one task at a time. Once you’ve finished one thing move onto the next.
Despite everything, only one person has control over how you spend your time, and that’s you. Be in charge of what you decide to do
Try to avoid taking too much on. Not all your spare time has to be filled! Leave some free time for flexibility. Remember: you are not going to be able to predict unexpected events that can and do happen, so you'll need some spare time to accommodate these
Learning to say no to taking on new commitments will help you find a balance between your commitments and time to relax.
"Were I to await perfection, my book would never be finished." - Tai Tung (13th Century Chinese Scholar).
Perfect is the enemy of good (Italian proverb)
Yes, your important tasks need to be done as well as you can, but there's only so much you can do in the time you have available. Getting things finished is better (and more realistic) than getting them to perfection
Do your best to create an environment that is most conducive to getting work done. Go to the library or your favourite cafe, put on headphones or whatever it takes to keep you from straying off task. Ask your friends and family not to disturb you while you're studying
Use your network - your friends, family, classmates and colleagues. Don't do everything by yourself, ask your network to help you out
Spend some time thinking about what's working and what isn't. Maybe some of your time estimates were off, or maybe you said yes when you should’ve said no. This self-feedback is important! You may need some adaptability in your prioritising and organising.
As well as planning your time, think about keeping a log of what you actually spend your time on and help with your reflection
Read over any class materials or notes ahead of time so you have a rough idea of what class will be about. Pay attention to what's being taught in class. Sleep in your bed and talk to your friends in the pub or cafe, not in class. If you don’t understand something in your class, then ask your teacher or go study afterwards. Don't assume you can pick it up later; it might be necessary to know this topic for subsequent classes
Don't cram all your tasks and activities into as a little time as possible. Yes, you have commitments at the same time every week (e.g., college classes), but activities without fixed times should be spread out during the week. Think about which of your tasks and activities are fixed and which are flexible and can be moved around.
If you have some idle time in your schedule, use it wisely. Find some small things that need done and do them. Your future self will thank you!
