EFFECTIVE TIME MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

Time management is an important part of independent learning. To achieve your goals you will need to find ways to use your time effectively. Using these effective time management strategies can offer you time to complete tasks while offering you the chance to take a break or do something that you enjoy.

You need to find ways to keep your mind and your motivation active. This is essential if things are going to take some time to accomplish. You need to find ways to keep your mind engaged in your activities.

Do not use passive behaviour. You need to work in an active manner, go for your goals, develop achievements, and reward yourself when you complete small tasks.
Top Time Management Tips
Getting Started:

Look at your week and make sure you set aside enough time to do everything. If a task is large, break it into smaller segments. Make sure you are clear about the task and what you need to do. Having clear goals you can reach will help keep you motivated.

Set a deadline for when you know you will finish the task Set a clear reward you will give yourself for completing the task.

If you there are some things you do not like to do, try to put them at the beginning. Get them over and done with so you can enjoy the rewards. Do not put them at the end of the list of they will not get done.
Keep on going:

Add some variety into the tasks you need to do. Do not do the same task for hours. You will get bored and will get less done. Break up the activity with a reward or even reviewing your tasks. Use some natural breaks. For example, after you finish a chapter takes a couple of minutes to exercise. This will help keep you motivated.

If you are having trouble with concentration, review the activities you need to do. Your goals may not be clear and your mind may be worrying. Do not stop the tasks. You are wasting time and energy.
Taking a Break:

If you need to, take a short break. If you are losing concentration or have been looking at the computer screen for a long period, take a short break. Do not use the TV or other forms of entertainment for your break. Keep your mind focused on the tasks and get back to work as soon as you can.
Know when to stop:

Once you have completed the task, stop working. Allow yourself to feel accomplished before going onto the next things. If you know you will not finish something or will be too tired to focus, put it at a better time. If you have some free time find something interesting to do but something that does not have a deadline.
Know your challenges:

There are many reasons why people avoid completing a certain task. It can be due to:
Lack of motivation
Lack of concentration
A noisy environment

Try to find ways to put a stop to them. You may want to begin the less interesting tasks first so you can reward yourself with something interesting once you complete it.

TIME MANAGEMENT FOR STUDENTS

Proper planning is needed for the organisation of student life. You need to look at your future obligations and make sure you schedule enough to complete the task. This will allow you to have a purpose.
Five steps needed for planning
1. Plan Ahead

To do this you need to:
Look at what you need to get done
The date that you will need to get this completed by
How long the tasks will take to complete

If you are in college you may want to read the course outline and information that is related to the course. This will give you an idea of how much time it will take. You need to look at how the different activities are going to relate to each other. This will help you develop a plan to organise your time.

2. Making the Plan

Once you know what needs to get done you should add it to your calendar. You can plan this out by semesters.
Using a wall chart will make it easy to plan your time.
You will be able to see the entire semester and plan accordingly.
You can see how close the deadlines are to each other.
You can remind yourself of your work when you are planning out your semester.

If you already have a calendar it can be used as a visual reminder of what needs to get one. This makes it easy to review. You can use this calendar to plan out your activities. You can add colours and images so you can sort them into categories. The deadlines can be in red and the starting date can be in green. You can use warning signs and other marks if you are not sure when you need to begin something.

You should always review your plan and add additional information as you find it out.

3. Break up your time

To have a handle of your time you will need to break it up into segments. You should follow some of these tips for planning your time on a weekly basis.

How to plan a week:
Your study time during the week can be divided into two parts
The time you will attend lectures, labs, and other courses
The time you will study on your own and complete assignments

You can make a table for the week and divide that into hours. You can then fill in the time you will be attending the lessons. This will show you how much time you have remaining and how much time you have to plan around.

Look at the other things that you need to do. Do not put all your studying into a long session. You should be creative on how you use your time. For example:
Take the evening to plan out your essay
Use some time between classes to go to the library
Use the 10-minute bus ride to review your notes from the class

You need to find a time frame that fits best for you. Do not try to plan out a major project at the end of your day if you are tired. You should do this when you are awake and alert and will do your best. If you are getting tired do something less strenuous such as putting your lecture notes in order.

Read the full article here: https://independentlearningschool.com/managing-time-at-university/