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Time management tips for students

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I have been a student at an engineering university since 2021. It was not easy to adapt, especially not having a specific time management set by the school. After a moment, I figured out some tips and strategies to have greater efficiency and better quality of time.

  1. Create a daily schedule: divide into 3 or 4 main sections. Examples:
    • morning, afternoon, evening
    • school, house, self-care
  2. Prioritize tasks by importance and how easy it is. If it is easy and urgent, do it!
  3. Break down large tasks into smaller ones. Depends on the person but for me, I divide big tasks into at least 5 or 6 parts.
  4. Utilize productivity apps or tools. For me, it never worked but for many of my friends, they have been really useful. Try as many as you and if none of them convinces you, it is fine!
  5. Minimize distractions: turn off Wi-Fi from our phone, put in silent, etc.
  6. Take breaks. I need to do study marathons for 4 hours or so but then I need a break of 1 hour.
  7. Use a planner or digital calendar: choose one, planner or app but JUST ONE and stick to it, you need to always have it with you. I only use Google Calendar for example.
  8. Ask professors and classmates for help: your teachers ARE PAID FOR THAT!
  9. Get sleep, eat well, and do some kind of physical activity (any sport is accepted, if it is with people, it is better).

Extra tips (just if you want to go further)

  1. Set ONE goal per study session.
  2. Use timers, Pomodoro techniques or others but set a time limit to your tasks so you don’t lose track of time.
  3. If you work in groups or are on a project, learn how to delegate tasks or even omit some after agreeing with your group.
  4. Choose a study space and keep it as clean as possible.
  5. Take advantage of the internet, library and campus resources: if you have them, use them!
  6. Keep time free for other activities to socialize and relax.
  7. Every 2 or 3 months, review your time management and update it if anything has changed or you want to change.

Finally, try and see which strategies are useful for you. Each person and thus each student is different and what works for someone does not necessarily work for another person.

Good luck!

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