Time Management for Students 101

The saying “time is money” first appeared in the essay “Advice to a Young Tradesman” by Benjamin Franklin, pointing out every moment spent in laziness comes with a price. In Chinese culture, there is also a saying that translates to “an inch of time is equal to an inch of gold, but an inch of gold can’t buy you an inch of time.”

Around the world, adages encouraging us to not waste time and work hard stem centuries and generations – that is, to a point. Working non-stop to maximize tasks completed is not sustainable at all. In fact, studies have shown working long hours increases the risks of depression and heart diseases. Without a doubt, it is important for us to learn how to maximize effort but at the same time live a happy and balanced life.

THE IMPORTANCE OF TIME MANAGEMENT

It is indeed essential for us to acknowledge the importance of time management, but it is equally if not more important for us to understand why time management is important. To be concise, the following are a few of the many reasons you should master your time management skills:

1) Productivity

Living in the 2020 gives us the shortest attention span of the human race. But at the same time, the tasks we are facing are also the most complex throughout history. To help us finish tasks before being distracted, unmotivated, or stressed out, we need a good plan on how to spend our time.

2) Happiness

Being productive is indeed important, but to balance out all the work you do, you need to arrange your time in a way that contains a variety of activities that are good for yourself physically and mentally. Time management is truly a pivotal factor to happiness.

3) Competitiveness

Job market has been constantly changing, but one thing that is timeless is that employers are looking for people with time management skills. To help yourself survive in the ever-changing world, you should equip yourself with time management skills.

5 TIPS ON TIME MANAGEMENT

A lot of us do already know the significance of time management, but it’s hard to fully implement new skills into our lives instantly.

Here are some tricks and tips that help you start managing your time effectively:

• Prioritize Tasks

Sometimes, when there are just too many assignments on your plate, you have to decide which one to start with. Some say we should start with the easiest one and some say start from the hardest. In fact, what we really should do is identify the priority of each task and organize them in that way. To make them more clear, you can even colour-code each task in your agenda or calendar for level of importance.

• Work with a schedule

It’s easy to work and rest whenever we feel like doing it. However, self-discipline plays a great role in time management just like in any other management skills. Working within a schedule does not mean just listing out the tasks you will be doing each day, it’s blocking out time for work, rest, and how much of work you expect yourself to finish in that certain period of time. Not only will you discipline yourself into working for sufficient hours each day, but you can keep track of whether you have enough rest in between each working interval.

• Challenge yourself to deadlines

Everything is more fun when we think of them as games. This applies to working on boring tasks as well. Whether you are about to start on a project or assignment, ask yourself, what is a reasonable amount of time to finish it, and carry out your designated deadline until you finish the task. The best part of this technique is that you reward yourself after making the deadline, perhaps with a snack or a five minutes scroll through social media. With positive reinforcement, you stay committed and motivated in completing your tasks.

• Take breaks

Indeed, as hard-working people, we spend more time working than resting. But, in the long run, it is the resting part that can keep us working. Job burnout is a phenomenon where the stress of work exhausts a person out into a sense of reduced accomplishment. One way to resolve that is stress management, but time management is helpful in controlling stress level as well. If we could let our minds relax once in a while, stress built up can be relieved.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Time management can be a difficult habit and skill to pick up, but is essential for students as academic and extracurricular expectations increase through the years. As students navigate their studies remotely or in a completely different school environment during the Covid19 pandemic, it can be especially challenging to practice time management.

 For more tips on how to support yourself or your child during the pandemic, join us this Saturday for a free, online Parents Workshop as we discuss learning and academics during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will be joined by guest speakers Toronto District School Board Trustee Manna Wong, Derek Hui from VY’s Social Innovation Academy, and Christina Choi from Success Tutorial Academy.

 Date: Saturday September 26, 2020, from 2PM - 3:30PM

Location: Online