Back to school – how will you manage your time this year?

It’s that time of the year again and we’re not speaking about Christmas (at least not yet) J. It’s that time when schools will be filled again and the young adults will go back to studying and learning. Everyone will be busy, and soon you will start thinking, where did the time go? Especially for students, who just spent the summer either relaxing or even working, the daily life filled with books, essays, studying, group meetings while still finding time to spend with friends or hobbies, is back again in full force.

With all the things going on, it is crucial to manage your time wisely. There are several time management techniques that can help (not only) students make the most of your time. Here are some of them:

1.Put it on paper

The point is that if you write your thoughts down on paper, it will be easier to formulate goals and the steps needed to achieve them. It helps to identify priorities and clear your head, as well as an overview of what you are planning to do. By seeing it all, you can already maybe identify those things, which are not really necessary to do or can be skipped.

Tip: If you are not a fan of writing on paper or are you afraid of losing your important notes, you can use Evernote, which can be easily synced with all your devices.

2. Plan your week

If you set aside a half-hour per week to schedule important tasks, it can save you a lot of time during the week for other activities. We recommend to connect the planning of tasks with the evaluation of the tasks from the previous week. If you fail to meet your goals week after week, it is time to look at what the problem could be. We only have 24 hours a day and it's up to you to figure out how you are going to spend it.

Tip: Reveal your "time route" by using time tracking- keep track of how much time you've spent and on what and soon your inefficient activities will appear on the surface. To do this, a pen and paper or an Excel sheet will do, or you can use an app, such as Time Tracking primaERP.

3. Remember the Pareto rule

The Pareto rule applies not only in economics but also in time management. This rule states that 20% of the effort will give you 80% of the results. For example, in a business, it says that 20% of your customers bring you 80% of profit.  Try to identify actions or tasks, which you are able to achieve with above-average results and assign them a higher priority.

4. Do not mix work and play

Procrastinating moments, during which you check your Facebook profile, read your personal emails or watch a funny video at a time which should be dedicated to work, happen to the best of us, not only to stundents.  You’ve probably already found out (the hard way?) why it’s not good to mix them together. But how to avoid this? Try to find some way to track how much time you are actually spending on studying or working and how much you are procrastinating. You’ll most likely be surprised, as it has become an almost unconscious thing to constantly check your networks and be reachable.

Tip: Try to find out why you procrastinate. There are several theories. As an examplo, according to psychologist Linda Sapadin’s book (“It’s About Time!: The Six Styles of Procrastination and How to Overcome Them”), there are 6 different kinds of procrastinators. Knowing which one applies to you may help to overcome it. Take this test to find out yours.

5. Be ahead of schedule

Perhaps the most problematic point for all students and graduates (and also some of us writers). Despite the fact that in today's world, more and more people finish everything in the last minute, try to write your paper or submit the project in advance. Although many people say that they need the pressure, it can be very rewarding to have a task crossed of your list so that you can enjoy the feeling of “freedom”. By being ahead of schedule, you’ll have a great feeling, can spend time with friends or what you like to do and you’ll see, the feeling you have might convince you to try it again in the future.

Do you also have some simple tricks for better time management? Write it in the comments!