As a student, other than being a social butterfly, there are many things that you can doto make the most of your time during the day. Enhancing your talents and knowledge while in school/college may be the best use of your time. You just need to have the right tips and tricks up your sleeve to be able to balance your educational and personal goals.

Now that the fall semester is coming to an end, many students are probably seeing how they spent these past few months in terms of productivity levels. Here is a list of 4 basic things that students can do to make the most of their day and academic life in general.

 

1. Ditch ‘To-do’s’ and try scheduling

Making to-do lists is fun and makes you feel rather ‘responsible’ about work and the days’ agenda. However, the number of hours spent on creating a list and muddling on the first item lessens the odds of accomplishing the due tasks.

The secret to making the most of your assignments in a day is scheduling. Scheduling, also known as the ‘chunking theory’, breaks down big projects into smaller, bulkier yet feasible sub-tasks that keep you motivated till you reach your goal.

You get to do more complex assignments in one day, with breaks in between, rather than feeling fatigued and finishing only one by the time the clock strikes 12.

The early you start putting your work in a schedule, the better. After all, smaller tasks are more manageable and easy to accomplish with the promise of excellent results in the end.

2. Keep a Check on Time

Time doesn’t stop for anyone. Some people are able to achieve so much in 24 hours while others just squander precious hours. If you are able to understand the dynamics of time, you are more likely to use it to your advantage and achieve success.

If you can make a plan to use time systematically; your academic, personal and social life will improve.

In total, a day consists of 1440 minutes; not satisfactory at all when you have a truckload of projects to work on. Also, dividing time for course lectures and also receiving an earful from parents for being ”irresponsible” is a crucial undertaking on its own.

The total number of minutes in a day might seem copious if you just use 30 minutes of it to plan out your day’s activities. Save yourself the parental lecture and spare 15 minutes at night to map out a rough agenda for the next day and 15 minutes in the morning to prioritize and put the plan into action. This is definitely better than running around in circles and wasting time.

Time tracking is another method tostay on track with activities. There are several time tracking devices available such Minterapp , My Hours, Toggl and many more to help you stay focused while monitoring time on your assignments.

3. Learn to say ‘No’

As a student, it is absolutely essential for you to stay focused on your tasks. Every time you say ‘yes’ to a request, remind yourself that you’re saying ‘no’ to something more important.  It’s easy to get distracted by a party, a new years’ celebration, a date or something else.

In reality, it is not so difficult to deflect non-essential tasks if you sincerely work towards accomplishing the essential ones. It is all about being  mindful of your goals and why you are working hard for a degree in the first place.  Here are some basic how-to’s:

• Keep the door shut and keep your phone on silent while working on the day’s assignment. People will respect that you are busy and will come around as soon as you are done with the day’s tasks.

• If you think you have the attention span of a goldfish, spread ‘post-it’s’ across your room as constant work reminders.

• Put the internet to good use. Install online work channelling systems with time trackers to stay organized with priority tasks.

• Reward yourself at the end of the day. The prize of a fancy take-out meal for adhering to a day’s schedule should be devoured free of guilt, or take time to sit with friends for tea in the evening to reward the day’s hard work!

 

4. Good Health = Productivity

A paunch, an expanding waistline and double-chin are not the only problems that students face when it comes to living an unhealthy lifestyle. Research has proven that unhealthy eating habits, lack of sleep and exercise can lead to a significant decrease in productivity levels of students. You can’t solve a hundred algebraic equations in one day if you don’t help your brain level up. Being the most energy-consuming organ of the body, the brain exercised to work efficiently all day.

Get sleep. It’s difficult to turn in at a decent time when you are living in a dorm with your best mates or too distracted by your favourite late night shows. You might want to adjust your patterns to get a minimum of 8 hours of sleep.  If you’re easily irritated by the loud noises, invest your allowance money on noise-cancelling headphones, earplugs or eye masks to get a peaceful night’s sleep.

On the other hand,refrain from watching late night television shows as they decrease mental and physical productivity levels. Wait till the next morning after you have had your required rest. Seth Meyers’ political banter is best heard with the morning coffee, after all.

Eat Healthy. You are what you eat. To keep your energy levels up throughout the day, have a healthy, hearty meal for breakfast and lighter snacks with a refreshing cup of tea for balance weight and more focus on work. After every three hours for the rest of the day. Focus more on fresh fruits and vegetables.

Manage energy. You can be the best at planning tasks for the day. Packing each hour with important assignments, but if you don’t have the energy to finish them all, then the planning was futile.

Prioritize your most important or difficult tasks for early in the morning, and do them in segments that you can handle. Spare 20 minutes for a stretch session each morning and keep your energy levels in check. Don’t go hungry because you’re busy. Pack a light lunch, and add portions of fresh fruits and vegetables.

 

AUTHOR BIO: ABOUT Evie Harrison

Evie is a blogger by choice.  She loves to discover the world around her. She likes to share her discoveries, experiences and express herself through her blogs.

Find her on Twitter:@iamevieharrison

 

We welcome your feedback to our work.

Email:  General Information   |   Prof. David C. Pecoraro

Thank you!

Daniel & David

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4 Things Students Can Do To Make the Most of Their Day

 

Special Post Published: 12/31/16