Imagine deadline day. One’s desk is covered in assignments, you are receiving notifications on your phone by the second, and the exam stress is hitting. We are in high school and this is the reality we face. Going to school in the day, and staying at home for tuition and sports, we are faced with the reality this is true chaos. Then, how to manage time as a student? This is not how life has to stay. But with the proper time management tactics. Will have you finishing homework before you leave for school and getting to relax and stretch after school before bed while still getting to the top of the class. These tactics will result in happiness and less stress in this time of your life, so with that in mind let’s take control and dive right into how to manage your time.
The Core Strategies: you’re Time Management Toolkit
Here are the most effective and reliable strategies to gain control of your time as a student. Choose one, implement it today, and expand your approach from there:
- Master the Prioritization Process: Each morning, set your top three priorities, making the first one an essential school task, your second one a quick revision, and the last one an enjoyable activity. Block out everything else until you have completed these. This will reduce feeling overwhelmed and ensure you make headway.
- Pomodoro Technique: This technique consists of working in intervals of 25 minutes and taking five-minute breaks in between. Set a timer, focus, and then stretch or sip some water. After completing four of these intervals, you can take a longer break of 15-30 minutes. This technique can help you overcome procrastination, as ticking tasks off of your to-do list can motivate you to keep going.
- Chunking: Breaking down large assignments, such as the ever-daunting “science project”, can significantly reduce the feeling of overwhelm. Simply break the project down into smaller, more manageable components, such as “research 20 mins”, “diagram drawing 15 mins”, or “intro writing 10 mins”.
- Distraction Shields Up: Putting your phone in “Do Not Disturb” mode or in a separate room can help reduce distractions. There are also some apps, such as Forest, that can help you focus by growing virtual trees if you stay on task.
- The No Multitasking Myth: It is far more effective to focus on one task at a time. Homework and social media, for example, do not mix well, as the outcome will not be what you expect, and good hours will be wasted. Find a quiet space to work, and limit distractions by having just your books and notes on hand.
- Fixed Daily Rhythm: Balancing studies with other activities ideally requires two to three hours of studies, one hour of play, and other activities, with meals eaten on schedule, sleep of eight hours with no exceptions, and, on weekends, a lighter load to recharge.
- Weekly Wins Review: During Sunday evenings, ask yourself what actions worked, what actions wasted time, and what you will do to adjust the upcoming week’s plan. Celebrate the completed actions with a positive reward, such as ice cream or a movie.
- Say No Skill: The ability to say no to play distractions from study time, including the request for one more game or spontaneous unplanned hangouts.
- Your Challenge: Choose one of the bullets from above, try it for three days, and comment below on your experiences during those three days.
Building Your Daily Perfect Schedule
Form a schedule that works best for you: 6 am wake up to study for a bit before school to tackle the more difficult subjects first when your mind is at peak sharpness. After the school afternoon session, take a quick snack break, then do one to two focused pomodoro task sessions.
For the evening, do revision or light reading, and aim for bed by 10PM. If other family members work quietly with you, you can all create family focus hours. Use a simple notebook, Google Calendar, or a wall calendar for one week to track your schedule, then adjust what you made inefficient with your schedule. This will soon become second nature and you’ll be able to use your weekends for leisure activities like movie and family drives.
Managing School, Activities, and Downtime, Guilt-Free
Taking a break and enjoying life is just as important as being productive. No high school experience would be the same without getting to know your peers, meeting new friends, playing sports, and pursuing your goals. With the right allocation of time, all of your interests can be taken care of. Avoid all-nighters at all costs, as they not only damage your brain, but also make it harder to recall information the next day. Progress should be made on a steady, daily basis. To demonstrate effective time and schedule management, parents can consciously share their daily schedules with their children, as kids typically learn by observing their parents.
Smart Tools to Manage Your Efforts:
- Using your phone’s alarm as a Pomodoro timer
- Keeping a to-do list for each day, using platforms like Notion or Google Keep
- Wall planners for planning out an entire week at a time
Common Mistakes to Avoid
You can easily waste days at a time by telling yourself, “I’ll do it later,” so make sure to be mindful of that. To prevent this from happening, just take a piece of paper and, for just five minutes, get started on a task. After that, you will likely get on a roll. If you plan on getting some social media time, make it a max of twenty minutes, and try to get all of it done after dinner.
The Adhyayana International Public School (TAIPS), leading CBSE schools in Coimbatore. We are integrating this into the workflow to help students achieve proficiency and personal growth. To learn more about this and more, visit us.
