"So much to do and so little time!" Poor time management can lead to stress, poor grades and perhaps burnout in the long run.
But with some planning, you can make the most of your time. Here's how.
- Get a daytimer. If it's free from the Student's Union, even better!
- Make a date with fun. Make a date with your homework. The point is, make a daily schedule and stick to it. Translation: actually use the daytimer referred to in #1.
- Prioritize your "to do" list, tackling the most important tasks first.
- Have a quiet study area where you can work without being bothered by distractions. Studying in the main student centre where all your friends pass by between classes probably won't be conducive to productive studying.
- Know when to quit. A common way to misuse time is to work on one task until it is perfect, while ten other tasks go untouched.
- Learn how to take schedule and take breaks. If you know you're going to get a break, it will be easier to actually get started on your studying rather than dragging your feet because you're staring at a five hour block of work.
- Don't be a know-it-all (no one likes them anyway). Know when to ask for help, unless you want to bang your head against the wall when you don't know something. You'll be amazed at how you can waste two hours convincing yourself of a concept when your prof or TA could clarify it in 10 minutes.
- Be organized. Spending your time digging around for stuff is unproductive.
- Keep your level of concentration high. Getting enough sleep, healthy food (McDonald's does not qualify as healthy!), short breaks every few hours and physical exercise all keep the mind in good form.
- Don't leave things until the last minute. Unexpected problems and mistakes made in the rush of trying to get something done quickly can eat away at your precious time.
- Keep up in class. If you fall behind, you will waste time trying to catch up on old material and on learning new material at the same time.
Peter is a Masters student at the University of Saskatchewan in sunny skies Saskatoon, SK, Canada. Copyright 2001 iamnext.com. May not be used without permission.
Related reading:
