How students can create better systems to manage time

As a coach, I have worked with hundreds of university students and one of the biggest problems young people encounter is managing time.

In high school, many students relied on teachers and parents to tell them what do and when to do it. There is also not a lot of ‘free time’ in high school due to the way classes are scheduled 5 days a week.

In contrast, there is a lot more free time at university. Some students might choose to do all their classes from Monday to Wednesday then have Thursday and Friday completely free.

But, this ‘free time’ isn’t technically free, because its time that gets filled with other competing priorities; part time work, reading journal articles, assignment writing, going to the gym, meeting friends for lunch or sleeping. Having to make constant choices on how to fill your time can be very challenging for students who are not skilled at harnessing their strength of ‘self-control’ to manage their time wisely.

So, what are some useful time management tips from the research to help you take control of your time?

1.    Plan when you are going to study

Successful students plan specific times throughout the week when they are going to study and stick with their plan. Creating a plan in advance reduces decision making, meaning you will have more energy to do the things you enjoy. Planning is also good for our wellbeing because it helps us a feel a sense of accomplishment and reduces stress and helps keep us calm.

Research (McDaniel & Einstein, 2020) has shown that students who study sporadically and whimsically do not perform as well as students who have a set schedule. We tend to waste time (on social media) when we don’t have a plan. Often, what doesn’t get planned, doesn’t get done. So take the time to plan. One hour of planning can save you 10 hours of doing.

Put it into Action

1.     Find half an hour a week during a ‘low opportunity cost time’ such as  Friday or Sunday afternoon.

2.     Create three focus ‘buckets’ for example:

3.     Write down 2 or 3 tasks you want to achieve under each heading.

4.     Go to your weekly calendar and schedule time blocks to complete those tasks. Be realistic about how long each task will take and don’t forget to add in breaks.

2.    Find an ‘Accountability Buddy’

An accountability buddy is similar to having a coach. They can help you keep a commitment or support your progress towards a goal. For example,  they can help you increase your fitness, write a certain number of words on an assignment a day or read a certain number of chapters a day. Many empirical studies have validated the significance of ‘social support’ when it comes to achieving goals. For example, one study discovered that if you tell someone else you are going to complete a goal you are 65% more likely to do it. In addition, you are 95% more likely to be successful if you have a regular ‘check-ins’ with a partner.

Put it into Action

1.     Ask a trusted friend, family member or acquaintance (preferably with a similar drive and energy) if they would be willing to be your ‘accountability buddy.’

2.     Set a time that you will report to them on your progress…

Example

• On Monday, Wednesday and Friday I’m going to send you a photo when I’m exercising.

• At the end of each day for the next two weeks I’m going to send you two paragraphs of my assignment (your buddy could do this too so it’s a win, win)

• Write your assignment where your buddy can see your computer screen.

3.     Set up some consequences

Example

• If I don’t complete my tasks, I am going to give you $20 to donate to a cause or buy a something that doesn’t align with my values, e.g. a gun club, parking fees, bottled water.

2.    Re-train your focus

One of the biggest problems you will encounter when it comes to your academic learning will be getting distracted; especially by phones and friends. Studies suggest that the average Australian checks their phone approximately every 8 minutes.

According to Cal Newport who wrote ‘Deep Work,’ we spend most of our time doing ‘shallow work’ (work that is non-cognitively demanding) due to the distractions that come from technology.  We have forgotten how to genuinely engage in deep work thanks to our phones crying out for our attention. We have lost the art of focused thinking to make meaningful progress on our most difficult but influential tasks.

We have trained ourselves to fit bits of Deep work around lots of Shallow work so we find it challenging to spend large chunks of time focusing. And, whenever we get stuck it’s so tempting to distract ourselves with a ‘hit’ of social media.

As a result, we need to retrain our focus to get fit again. When we want to get physically fit, we don’t go on a 10km run on the first day. We start by walking for 15 minutes then 30 minutes and slowly build up our fitness.

Put it into Action

1.     Choose a study space where you won’t get distracted by people

2.     Choose a task that requires ‘deep work.’

3.     Turn your phone onto ‘flight mode’ and close down your email

4.     Train your focus for 15 minutes chunks

5.     Reward yourself with a stretch, coffee, walk.

6.     Build up to 30 minute chunks (this is genuinely how long we can concentrate before needing a short 10 minute break – preferably off your phone!).

If you want more strategies to manage your time. Get in touch adelejohnston.com