Did you know that around 80 to 90% percent of college students procrastinate? That’s a whopper of a number of people who don’t know how to manage their time in college. But we have the answer to combatting that procrastination and stress. With big changes happening in college, make sure you take advantage of these top five time management tips for college students. Keep reading to start on your own (responsible!) journey into college.
1. Plan Ahead
One important thing to do as a first-year college student is to plan ahead. Having a schedule and a checklist to follow will help you guide yourself through your studies. Planning time to do your homework, eat meals and snacks, and sleep will allow you to retain more and stress less. Block out times in your schedule to get everything important done first, then you’ll have time to do extracurricular activities.
2. Set Achievable Goals
As with planning ahead, make sure you set aside some goals. These can be as little as “Drink a gallon of water a day” or as big as “Get a 3.5 GPA.” Having reachable goals helps you work toward them, one step at a time. Setting these as something to achieve on your own will help you know what to work for and to remind you of what you want.
3. Avoid Multitasking
Multitasking can be a nightmare when you don’t do one thing at a time. Try to decide what needs to get done first, in order of importance. By deciding the order of how you want to do things, you can avoid trying to do things at the same time. Doing several things at once can distract you and prevent you from finishing anything well. By using this hot spot device, you can take the time to go from one area to the next, all in one place.
4. Take Quality Breaks
When studying, set timers to have blocks of time devoted to your work and blocks of time to take breaks. Using an example of times such as the 52/17 rule–52 minutes of straight studying and 17 minutes of a break–will help motivate you and contain your schedule well. This method is among many college study tips that will allow you to rest and remember things well afterward.
5. Sleep When You Can
Perhaps the most important rule as a college student is to sleep whenever possible. Aim to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night, and when you can’t, try to sneak in naps throughout your day. Keeping sleep as an important part of your routine is essential to knowing how to survive college.
Use These Time Management Tips for College Students Anywhere
College is difficult to manage without first managing yourself. Using these time management tips for college students is beneficial in college, but can also be used in everyday life at any stage. Make use of your schedule wisely by trying these tips out. Often, several of these will last throughout the rest of your life.
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