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7 Productivity Tips for College Students Posted: January 30, 2023 @ 2:27 am |
Source: Freepik Managing a mountain of projects, presentations, and other tasks can be quite a challenge! College students often feel daunted by the sheer volume of deadlines they have to meet, which may lead to discouragement. When the urge to procrastinate hits, college students will often find themselves having a fruitless day. Distractions from outside sources, lack of direction and challenging tasks can be disheartening and make it difficult for them to stay motivated. If you're a college student and having difficulty staying on top of your tasks, this conversation is here to help you out. You can prevent back-to-back idle days of streaming YouTube channel or going through Instagram stories by taking the following steps. Discover the reasons why some college students struggle to stay productive and the seven strategies to help them get the most out of their busy days. Time management and self-control are two crucial factors to help you stay productive. The below discussions can be constructive for you as a college student to manage and use your time efficiently. Let's dive in! 1. Prioritize tasks and set goalsTo prioritize tasks and set goals, follow these steps: - Write down all tasks and goals. - Evaluate each task/goal in terms of importance and urgency. - Decide which tasks/goals must be done first. - Set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals. You can use time tracking app to measure your progress. - Create a plan and schedule for completing each task/goal. - Review and adjust your priorities regularly. 2. Find a routine that works for youPrior to settling into a regular schedule, it is important to recognize yourself. For example, decide whether you prefer to work in the day or at night to make the most of your energy and use it when needed. Some individuals function more effectively in the AM, whereas others do better in the PM. Some people need to consume caffeine or eat breakfast before they start their tasks. Pinpointing your favorite habit is the initial step in creating a system that fits you. Once you discover your schedule, it can help to lift your morale and keep you on track until you finish your tasks. 3. Create a study schedule and stick to itCrafting a timetable can help you become more organized by effectively utilizing your time and resources. You can devise either a daily plan or group everything into a weekly agenda. Don't forget to include rest periods too! You can refer to the Eisenhower matrix to manage your schedule. It requires you to split tasks into four categories: urgent, not urgent, important, and unimportant. Below is the breakdown of the matrix. Image via Any.Do - Important and urgent tasks: your utmost priority, so focus on accomplishing them first. - Important but not urgent tasks: not priority tasks that you can schedule for later. - Not important but urgent tasks: you can get them done after your important and urgent tasks. - Not important and not urgent tasks: the least on your priority list. You can postpone or ignore them at the moment. Besides, allocate your energies judiciously. Select a time of day that is most conducive to mental exertion, whether it be dawn, noon, dusk, or midnight. Aim for an environment free from distractions. You can deactivate your alerts, tidy up your workspace, or play soothing music. Every 90 minutes, take a breather to keep your cognitive performance in check. 4. Avoid multitasking and eliminate distractionsIt's not possible for the human brain to do more than one activity simultaneously. What you may think is multitasking is actually switching from one job to another. This behavior can have a major impact on your efficiency! Individuals who practice multitasking are more prone to becoming easily sidetracked. Therefore, they may require assistance in concentrating and paying attention when tackling a single task. Furthermore, juggling multiple activities can lead to quicker exhaustion as it consumes more energy. Essentially, attempting to juggle multiple tasks at once can be detrimental to your productivity. Additionally, you might find that you are unable to complete your tasks accurately due to missing out on crucial details. Most importantly, studies have revealed that multitasking has a deleterious effect on the brain. To dodge multitasking, you can restrict the amount of jobs you handle daily. Concentrate on one job for at least 20 minutes before transferring to another. Additionally, practice being aware and reduce interruptions to keep your concentration and efficiency high. 5. Take breaks and exercise regularlyIt is just as important to take a break as it is to do your task. To remain productive, you can refer to certain guidelines in order to determine how much time you need for a rest period. A post from The Muse suggests making a 17-minute pause every 57 minutes of work. An in-depth investigation has proposed a different plan. It is suggested that breaks should make up approximately 12% of the working day. Furthermore, it is better to take numerous short pauses rather than just one longer break. If you set aside eight hours for studying or handling your assignment, you can take a break of almost an hour - broken into five 12-minute chunks. 6. Create a to-do list using productivity toolsHaving a better task management system is good for your productivity. You can use productivity tools to help you create a to-do list: - Google Tasks: Integrated with Gmail, can create a to-do list and subtasks, set due dates and prioritize items. - Asana: A project management tool that allows creating tasks and to-do lists, setting deadlines, and tracking progress. - Trello: A visual project management tool that allows organizing tasks using boards, lists, and cards. - Microsoft To Do: A simple task management app that provides a to-do list, reminders, and the ability to schedule tasks. 7. Collaborate with classmatesCollaborating with classmates can lead to better understanding of course material, through different perspectives and ideas. It also helps to develop skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and negotiation. Working together with others on a task can increase motivation and lead to better performance. Collaborating with classmates creates opportunities to build relationships and network, which can be beneficial in both academic and professional settings like offering business proposals someday. TakeawayCollege is a great time to get to know yourself better. You have the power to manage both external and internal factors that may be hindering your productivity, like procrastination. To establish positive habits, practice good time management and self-control while taking regular breaks for mental wellbeing. AuthorAndre Oentoro is the founder of Breadnbeyond, an award-winning explainer video production company. He helps businesses increase conversion rates, close more sales, and get positive ROI from explainer videos (in that order). Twitter: @breadnbeyond Email/Gravatar: [email protected] LinkedIn: Andre Oentoro
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