How To Manage Your Time As A Busy Student

Hello friends! School has started for the majority of us, and I can only imagine how stressed you might be! I don’t know about you, but I already have almost 5x the amount of homework assigned last year, and it’s only the first week! With that said, I feel compelled to mention exactly how busy I am this school year. On top of high school, I have cross country practice, choir rehearsals, and of course this blog. I’m definitely biting off way more than I can chew, (but I haven’t choked yet…) Anyway, my point is that as busy students, we need to learn how to manage our time and get shiz done! Today I’m going to share some helpful time-saving and management tips! Let’s get to it!

Utilize time blocking

I have found many positive and negative factors in time blocking. For one, I find that it’s great for motivating you to get out of bed and go! Blocking out every hour for specific tasks, helps you to stay on track and get more done. Integrating time that’s not dedicated to school throughout the day is a great way to keep your energy levels and focus up. Make sure to pad your time, especially if you’re someone who is hard on themselves, because sometimes tasks can take longer than we think and then our plan is “ruined” by the set back.

Limit time spent on social media

This is a big one! Social media, and our phones in general, suck up so much time. I don’t know about you, but I can (and have) spend upwards of five hours just mindlessly scrolling. I get it, it’s a nice break, but there’s a point where this habit becomes a problem. I challenge you to go into your phone settings and look at your screen time. Now, how much of that time do you think is necessary and adds to your day? I’m not saying cut out all social media, just cut back. Perhaps you limit yourself to an hour a day.

Make a plan for larger tasks

Oftentimes, large tasks, like a science project can feel daunting. There’s so much that goes into it, and so little time; it’s often hard to know where to start. One thing that has helped me tremendously over the past few years is breaking up large tasks. Take the science project for example: you have to draw a diagram, buy supplies, write a paper, make a model, and so many other steps. See these steps as what they are – steps. By breaking up your tasks into smaller pieces, it will seem more manageable, and you’ll ultimately be more motivated because  you are (seemingly) getting more done.

Use break time wisely

Breaks are essential to staying focused! Pinterest can tell you about 300 ways to break up your time, whether it’s studying for an hour with a 20 minute break, or a small break every 15 minutes. That’s not what I’m here to chat about, I’m going to help you use that break time, however long you choose to make it, wisely. What I find works best for me is standing up and moving away from my workspace and partaking in an unrelated task for my break. Instead of staying at your desk scrolling on your phone, or checking emails, try taking a short walk. What I’ve found is that my breaks help me refresh my mind when I’m doing something unrelated to the task at hand.

Keep a planner

Honestly, if you don’t write down your work and just hope that you remember it, you probably have a fabulous memory. However, even if you never forget anything, there’s a pretty high chance that you’ll forget an assignment. Heck, sometimes I even forget to do assignments when I put them in my planner! Writing down your assignments and due dates will help you sort out your work. If you know you have soccer Thursday night, and a paper due Friday, a planner will prompt you to finish up your paper on Wednesday. It doesn’t even have to be a planner, just find a place to write down your assignments! It can be a notebook, sticky notes, or even on your phone!

Rest and eat up!

Ever feel cloudy? Like you’re so tired and can’t focus? I completely get that; that’s how I felt all of freshman year. I thought I was over working, but in reality, I was hungry and wasn’t getting enough sleep! I promise you that chomping on a granola bar or snacking on fruit will clear away the fog in your brain. After you fuel, you’ll be ready to take down an assignment. Not only that, but you’ll get it done faster and (from my own experience) finish with less stress. If snacking doesn’t work, try squeezing in a quick nap! If you don’t have time, maybe opt for a dose of caffeine if your body can handle it. Afterall, coffee and naps are staples of a high school experience.

Tackle a small task first

Sometimes motivation is our problem. You can gain some motivation by receiving a small dose of achievement! This can be done by cranking out an easy task on your list. Hopefully, that motivation from bringing the trash out of your room, or emailing your teacher, will encourage you to keep going! This feeling of motivation will prevent you from going or track or procrastinating. Finishing that first task will be even more rewarding if you can cross it off your list! Is it just me, or if crossing something off of a to-do list the best feeling ever!?!

Still stuck? Check out this post I wrote about getting motivated!

Those are my tips for managing and making the best of your time! It may seem like you’re going to drown in school work, but I promise it will get better once you get back into the swing of things! We all went from having all of the time in the world to absolutely no time at all, so it’s definitely a really difficult switch. I really hope that this will help you sort out your schedule and maybe even free up some time for some relaxation… maybe? Well, a girl can hope! Thanks for reading and happy hustling!