Time Management and Studying

Effective time management is critical in our daily lives.  Time is precious. You can become a successful student if you figure out a way to use smart time management and study techniques that don’t waste your precious time.  Look at the following 5 easy steps to use time management to become a more effective student:

Step 1. Prioritize your week

Make a calendar that blocks off each hour of the week. Figure out what time is already committed to your day-to-day responsibilities and cross out those hours on your calendar. Highlight the open hours of your day, label test and assignment dates, and chart out available time into 2 hour blocks whenever possible.

Step 2. Use unexpected pieces of time

Preview material 5 minutes before class starts and review material 5 minutes after class ends before you leave the room. Scan your material on lunch hours or breaks at work. Find a quiet place on campus where you have no friends waiting to distract you. Stop by a book store or fast food place and do some uninterrupted work.

Step 3. Listen while you learn

Get a digital recorder and listen to your class lectures or your own voice studying the material. Download the lectures onto your MP3 player so you can listen while you cook, exercise, or wait for appointments. Listening is especially effective when you need to memorize vocabulary. Call your home, cell, or work phone and leave yourself a message about your homework when an idea suddenly occurs to you.

Step 4. Create Lists

Keep a list of terms, names, events, or dates from your study material. Do not include definitions or explanations on this list, but keep that information nearby in your notes or book. On your word list, check off what you know and can say aloud. Share the list with your teacher. Ask if there is anything on the list you don’t need, or ask if there is anything more to add to the list that you might be missing.

Step 5. Location, location, location

Find a location to keep all your materials in one place for easy access. Use a box, file, clipboard, folder, desk drawer. Find a unique place to house your project where nobody will bother it, and add a label with the due date. Clear shoe boxes are effective because you can see inside without having to open them up. Clipboards are good because you can just grab and go. Recycle bags for each assignment or class will keep things separate. Keep a small notebook in your purse, pocket, or car that you can use to write down notes spontaneously.

Hopefully, you will soon be able to find your most effective study strategy and manage your time well!