How to Manage Your Time More Effectively as a Student

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Finals are coming up, undergraduate and graduate applications are due soon, and tensions and stress levels are rising as the semester comes to an end. Personally, I’ve been stressed with making sure I get all my school work done while also preparing everything I need to do for my graduate school applications. I’ve had no time to myself recently, and I know a lot of other students feel the same way. But, that’s okay! We have limited amounts of time during the day to get done what we need to, and it’s normal to feel like you’re behind or you aren’t getting enough done.

However, it isn’t normal to push yourself to the point where you become mentally and physically exhausted. The past few months, my immune system hasn’t been the best because of how stressed I’ve been, and I finally had the realization about a week ago that that’s not okay! That’s why being able to manage your time is extremely important. We should be able to do as much as we can on our daily to-do lists while still having time to relax and spend our time on things we enjoy doing. If you’re going to bed at the end of the day stressed out, here are some tips on how to manage your time better to make your life a bit easier:

  1. Set achievable goals for the day.
  2. Organize your personal, academic, and professional life.
  3. Take a break when you feel it’s needed.
  4. Prioritize your tasks based on how important they are, how long they take to complete, and when their deadlines are.
  5. Create a daily and long-term schedule.
  6. Think about what you want to accomplish in the long term. Don’t just focus on short-term goals.
  7. Spend your time focusing on one thing rather than multitasking.
  8. Set time limits for your tasks.
  9. Block out distractions.
  10. Take care of yourself!