For many students, 24 hours in a day and seven days in a week are simply not enough!
I'm currently in my second year of graduate school, so I definitely understand the craziness of student life. During my undergrad, I tried all sorts of unsustainable ways to balance my time between three part-time jobs, classes, and a school sports team.
One day I found myself waterproofing my notes so I could study in the shower, and realized there had to be a better way to use my time. Fortunately, there is (which is good news because studying in the shower is not effective)!
The strategies in this article may not add hours to your day, but you will be able to use the time you do have more efficiently. Seriously, it's been years since my last night, I've kept up a high GPA and my job at MakeUseOf, and had plenty of time to have fun (and sleep).
Finding more time for school isn't impossible, it just takes a little work.
Whether or not you're a morning person, it's important to start your day off on the right foot!
Doing a couple of tasks first thing in the morning sets the rest of your day up for success. You don't have to become a morning person, but try to avoid oversleeping or forgetting to set your alarm altogether. If you struggle to hear your normal alarm clock, there are great alarm apps Top 10 Android Alarm Clock Apps in 2016 Top 10 Android Alarm Clock Apps in 2016 Having a solid alarm clock app is important if you want to wake up on time. Try one of these. Read More
Once you wake up, it's easy to stay in bed without having to switch between Facebook, Instagram and Twitter on your phone. This can eat up tons of your time in the morning, and is a huge drain on your productivity.
Try one of these options to break this habit:
It's okay, you're out of bed. Now what? Take five minutes to look at your calendar and figure out your plan for the day. Staying on top of your tasks and having a semi-annual plan on how to tackle them is key to productivity. Many people like to set this up individually using their existing calendar client or a paper-based planner.
However, there are also great apps designed specifically for students like StudyCal and iStudiez. In addition to the normal calendar features, you can also keep track of your grades, set assignment reminders, and organize key course information.
If you're like most students, you spend a lot of time on campus! Take advantage of breaks between classes or during classes to work instead of wasting time on social media or Netflix.
While you're in class, these tips and tools can help you use your time effectively:
No matter how perfect your schedule is, chances are you're going to have a few awkward breaks throughout the day. It is important to take time to eat, go for a walk and clear your head. However, you can also eliminate many small tasks without increasing your stress level. How to Beat Stress Staying Ahead How to Beat Stress Staying Ahead No one likes being stressed. The feeling of knowing that you need to do something, or that something bad could happen is terrible. Read more !
Keep a five-minute to-do list that you can work on throughout the day. This list can be on paper, in your phone's native notes app, or in a dedicated to-do list app like Wunderlist. Tasks can be sending an email, editing a page in a task, or completing three homework problems.
Plus, your options increase if you use a cloud-based program like Google Drive 7 New Google Drive Features Every Student Should Know 7 New Google Drive Features Every Student Should Know School is in session and Google is ready to make things easy to students with Google Drive. New features have been introduced and old ones have been refined. We have the details. Read More If you save documents and slideshows to the cloud, you can access them from any device, which means you can make changes from a campus computer or your phone in a pinch!
If you have longer breaks during your school days, do you have time to tackle a bigger task? You can use this time for a trip to the campus gym, a meeting with a professor, or a coffee date with a friend.
It's so easy to come home from class and indulge in a meal and Netflix haze until it's time to go to bed. A few quick techniques can keep you focused and working hard (after a quick snack, of course).
Do you remember your calendar from earlier in the day? Time to sign up! Find out exactly what you want to achieve each day. Having a purpose (and an end point) is very important for prioritizing tasks, staying focused, and getting started.
It's also a great idea to schedule study time for specific events. For example, if you have a test every Wednesday, block off the time every Tuesday to study specifically for that test.
It would be wonderful if all students had superhuman self-control. Self-control IS possible:learn how with these 10 YouTube videos. Self-control IS possible:learn how with these 10 YouTube videos. Learn all about self-control with the help of these experts. videos Improve your own ability to focus and make good decisions. Read more . Until that becomes a reality, luckily there are apps that can act as substitutes.
Programs like SelfControl, Focus, or StayFocused can help you block or limit access to specific websites or the Internet in general. Hardcore users can block the Internet for a couple of hours, but sometimes it's enough to block sites for fifteen minutes while you write the first paragraph of an essay.!
One of the best ways to do effective work is to follow the Pomodoro Technique. Add Pomodoro Timers To Your To-Do Lists With This App Add Pomodoro Timers To Your To-Do Lists With This App The Pomodoro technique is one of the most effective ways to increase productivity, and this app can integrate Pomodoro timers right into your lists! pending tasks! Read more . Basically, you stay focused for 25 minutes and then you get a five minute break. This cycle repeats four times, after which you can take a longer break. If an idea pops into your head during one of your work sessions, you quickly jot it down on a piece of paper and then go back to your task. Following this type of time management strategy is a great way to stay focused, while rewarding yourself for a job well done!
At the end of the day, you probably just want to crawl into bed and block out the world. But taking ten minutes to prepare for tomorrow can make a world of difference.
Get ready to head out the door in the morning as part of your bedtime routine. Gather everything you'll need for tomorrow's classes, your lunch, and your outfit. Having everything in one fixed place will make tomorrow morning much more streamlined and stress-free. Plus, it makes it much less likely that you'll forget to print your ID or grab your bus pass on the way out the door!
It may seem counterintuitive to sleep more when you're stressed. After all, it is our inclination as students to stay up late whenever possible in order to get the work done! However, sleep is more important than most people realize and can have a huge influence on how you function the next day.
By making sleep a priority, 7 Secrets to Sleeping Peacefully, According to Science 7 Secrets to Sleeping Peacefully, According to Science A perfect night's sleep isn't as difficult as it seems. We've compiled this list of ten science-based tips and tricks to help you fall asleep. Read More Plus, getting a regular night's sleep helps your immune system, concentration, memory, and attention span, all of which are key to success in school.
It's so tempting to think of weekends as an escape from the realities of school. Unfortunately, ignoring school stressors over the weekend can make everything worse on Monday morning. These simple tasks can make a big difference in how much time you have to study during the week.
If you live off campus, you probably don't realize how much time you spend in the kitchen each day! Many students can spend more than an hour preparing meals every day, an hour that could be used for studying or other tasks.
Consider planning your meal for the week Automatically plan your meals and make dieting easier with Eat This Much automatically Plan your meals and make dieting easier with Eat This Much that will help you stay slim and healthy by while providing a respite from the non-stop grind of... Read More Then make two or three large meals over the weekend and spread them out in Tupperware containers in your fridge. Throughout the week, you can simply pop them in the microwave, meaning meal prep suddenly only takes a few minutes. Crockpot meals are another great way to save time in the kitchen.
If you don't like to cook, you can still save some time by grocery shopping on the weekend, dishing out some pre-made snacks, or pre-planning where you'll get each of your meals for the week.
Every weekend, ask yourself which of your next tasks “your future” We wish you to achieve the weekend. Then try to conquer that task (or a large part of it). By attacking one of your most dreaded to-do list items over the weekend (when you're less stressed), you'll be much less apprehensive on Sunday night.
Seriously. Nobody is an effective student if they are constantly stressed. Take some time off. 9 unique ways for you to recharge with a break. 9 unique ways to recharge with a break now. The human mind is not meant to work continuously. Call it for a few minutes every now and then, get rid of stress and revitalize yourself with these apps and websites. Read More Life is so much bigger than just school, and it's important to give your brain some time to recharge.
No matter what, school is going to be tough. There are a lot of people who expect a lot from you, and it's a definite learning curve of figuring out how to prioritize, organize, and complete all assigned work!
What are your best strategies for finding time for schoolwork during the day? Let me know in the comments! I still have one semester left and I have a lot of room to improve.
