Students in Singapore are one of the busiest in the world. Most begin their days at 6am or even earlier, have classes for more than half the day, then they may have CCA, supplementary classes, remedial classes, or tuition. On long days, students are occupied until they reach home for dinner. Even then, there is not much time to unwind as they will need to complete their homework for the next day.
The result of hectic schedules like this is that you have students who suffer from high stress levels, burnout, and physical tiredness. However, some students seem to do cope better than others – why?
Aside from personality differences and their ability to cope with stress, students with better time management skills are able to do more in less time, reduce stress from worrying about undone work and last minute work, and have a bit more leisure time to relax or pursue one’s hobbies. Yes – even the busiest students can stay on top of things with good time management skills.
If you want to learn the ways of students who always seem like they have their *stuff* together, start by incorporating the tips below into your life!
1. List out the tasks
When there seems like a thousand and one things to do, start by listing them out. Write or type out the tasks so you can see them clearly. Having this visual cue is helpful for a few reasons.
Firstly, it lets you literally SEE how much you have to deal with. Sometimes it is less intimidating than you thought! And even if it is a lot, you know where your end point is.
Secondly, it is far easier to plan your time with a list that you can refer to easily anytime. Listing your tasks out also reduces the chance of you forgetting to do something (which is highly possible if you are swamped).
2. Prioritise
You don’t need to do everything RIGHT NOW. A great way to decide which tasks to start with is by determining which ones you need to finish first. For example, prioritise to finish the homework that is due tomorrow, first.
Prioritising by urgency seems like common sense. But what if all of them are urgent?
Let’s say you have 3 assignments due tomorrow. In that case, you can approach them in a few ways.
- Do the most difficult one first while you still have the mental energy. Leave the easiest task to last so you can complete it even when you are tired.
- Get the easy and small tasks out of the way first so you can clear your list and leave more time for the difficult tasks.
- Do the most IMPORTANT one first. It could mean doing the graded assignments first before doing an ungraded worksheet.
The method you choose depends on your working style and preferences. It may take some trial and error to discover which one works best for you.
3. Be okay with saying ‘no’
Managing your time means choosing what you want to spend your time and energy on. If you have a lot of commitments and tasks, you may need to reject some of the less important or less urgent ones – at least for the time being.
For example, doing community work or having dinner with friends are all great and wholesome activities. But during busy periods, you need to prioritise and cut down on some of these activities if you cannot cope with what you have on hand. Sometimes, the decision may be hard because you have already agreed to commit to something earlier. Instead of dropping everything at the last minute (as that would be seen as quite irresponsible), take it as a lesson to avoid overcommitting or overpromising for the next time.
4. Eliminate distractions
Working efficiently and according to a plan are both ways to manage your time. After all, there’s no use prioritising your tasks and approaching them in order if you are going to spend 8 hours on a single task, being distracted with watching Youtube videos or playing games in between the task.
Once you have decided which tasks to work on, focus and stick to it! Eliminate distractions by putting your phone out of view, turning off any shows on Youtube or Netflix, and studying in a quiet place.
You can also use a productivity tool like the Pomodoro method to motivate you and keep you focused for set bursts of time.
5. Know when to stop
Your time is limited and so is your mental capacity and energy. On those extremely intense days where everything seems to have come at once, you may actually not be able to finish everything you need to – and that’s okay. Sometimes, you might not be able to put in your best effort for a piece of work because you were rushing and had other things to complete – that’s okay too.
A perfectionist mindset can be what wrecks time management plans for some people, as they will spend a lot of time on one task just to get it absolutely perfect. But when time is tight, it might be best to break out of that mindset. Remember that doing your best often looks different in different circumstances.
When you encounter one of those extra busy days, be brave about asking for grace. Chances are, if you really tried your best but couldn’t finish the work, there will be other classmates who have the same problem. Assuming you don’t have any special learning needs, if you find yourself being unable to finish your homework often – while your classmates can – then you might want to reflect on whether you have been using your time wisely.
Conclusion
Time management is a life skill for excelling in this fast-paced world. While students may complain and struggle in school, it is far better to be learning this skill early in school rather than later in the workforce.
Getting the right support can also help you study more efficiently and make good use of your time. Future Academy tuition classes such as our IP Math Tuition classes are designed to maximise your study time, through imparting study techniques and providing you with learning materials to aid your productivity.
Looking for JC Physics tuition or GP tuition in Singapore? Discover our well-loved classes for yourself when you sign up today!