can homework help you with time management

teaching you to manage homework effectively

Importance of Time Management for Students: How Homework Helps

Time management is a critical skill that can make or break a student’s academic success. Whether in high school or college or just a graduate student working on a thesis, managing your time effectively can help you set your priorities straight and reach your full potential.

Homework, in particular, plays a crucial role in helping students develop good time management skills. With the right strategies and techniques, you can use homework to create a schedule, prioritize tasks, and stay on top of your workload.

This article will explore how homework helps with time management and provide tips and tricks for making the most of your time.

Time management importance for students: why should they take it seriously?

Before we examine how homework can help students with time management, let’s evaluate its importance.

As you might already know, time management is planning, organizing, and allocating time effectively to achieve specific goals or objectives. It typically involves developing priorities, creating a schedule, and manufacturing strategies for achieving tasks efficiently.

So why is time management important for students?

Time management is important for students because it helps them prioritize their tasks, meet deadlines, and balance their academic and personal responsibilities. Effective time management allows even the most average students to make the most of their time, reducing stress and improving their academic performance.

Additionally, good time management skills are essential for success in college and the workforce, as they help individuals become more productive and efficient in completing tasks.

How does homework help students with time management in their schoolwork?

Homework can help students with time management in several ways, some include:

• Prioritization

Homework assignments provide students with a clear list of tasks that need to be completed, which helps them prioritize their time and focus on what is most important.

Homework is typically given with due dates, encouraging students to plan and schedule their time accordingly.

• Accountability

Homework helps students develop a sense of responsibility for their learning and progress. It encourages students to take ownership of their time and use it effectively.

Homework allows students to practice time management skills such as planning, scheduling, and prioritizing. It also offers long-term benefits that will serve them well in college and the workforce.

It is important to note that homework alone is not enough to develop good time management skills; it should be combined with other techniques such as creating a schedule, setting goals, and breaking down large tasks into smaller manageable chunks.

School homework management software: what is it and how does it work?

A critical aspect of homework time management is using various educational software that supports organizational learning. Various types of homework management system or software are available to help students and teachers manage and organize homework assignments. Some popular options include:

• Google Classroom

This free platform allows teachers to assign and collect homework digitally, provide feedback, and communicate with students.

• Show My Homework

This web-based platform allows teachers to create, assign and track homework. It also offers a student calendar, which allows students to view and keep track of their homework assignments.

• My Study Life

This is a cross-platform planner for students, teachers, and lecturers, which helps them to manage their classes, homework, exams, and assignments.

• Microsoft Teams

It’s part of the Microsoft 365 suite, and it allows teachers to assign homework and communicate with students, and also students can collaborate and communicate with their peers for assignments.

• Blackboard Learn

It’s a Learning management system (LMS) that allows teachers to create and manage homework assignments, and grades, and provide feedback to students. This software can help students to stay organized and keep track of their assignments, and also helps teachers to easily manage and monitor student progress, provide feedback, and communicate with students.

Bottom line

Now, if you’re ever asked how does homework help with time management? Time management is an essential skill for students, and it can be particularly helpful when managing homework. You can emphasize how they help create schedules, set goals, establish routines, and take care of students’ physical and mental well-being.

Developing good time management skills improves student performance in school and helps develop a sense of discipline and responsibility that will serve them well in their future endeavors.

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

Get Your Free 21st Century Timeline Poster ✨

20 Effective Time Management Strategies and Tools for Students

Teachers can use these too!

One of the most important life skills for anyone to master is time management. Keeping track of everything that we have to do and carving out the time to get it all done can be a real struggle. Try these time management strategies and techniques, plus find helpful tools for staying on track.

General Time Management Strategies

Time management techniques, time management tools.

These time management strategies work for everyone, helping you set goals and prioritize, then set a schedule to get things done.

Visualize the big picture

Use a calendar of some type to lay out all your big-picture goals for a year, month, or week. Include major projects and assignments, as well as school and personal events. This is your place to get an overview of everything that’s on your plate. Keep items to broad descriptions: “History Project” or “Spring Play Opening Night.” You’ll get into the details next.

Break it down

The next step is to take major projects and assignments and break them down into smaller, more manageable parts. This is an incredibly effective way to overcome that feeling of “I’ll never get this all done!” It also prevents procrastinating on an entire project until the very last minute. Set smaller, more manageable goals with their own due dates in advance of a complete project or event.

For example, imagine your big-picture calendar says “History Project Due Feb. 23.” Breaking that down could look like this:

• Choose topic and presentation method: Jan. 9
• Initial research: Jan. 10-30
• Presentation outline: Jan. 31
• Write presentation script: Feb. 1-5
• Create visual aids: Feb. 6-12
• Rehearse presentation: Feb. 13
• Fine-tune presentation: Feb 14-16
• Final rehearsals: Feb. 17
• Give history presentation: Feb. 23

At first, this method might feel a little overwhelming, because it may make you feel like there’s too much to get done. But as you use it, you’ll see how it can actually make you feel more prepared and in control, and make your time easier to manage.

Determine priorities

Sometimes it’s simply true: You don’t have enough time in a day to get all the things done that you’d like to. That’s where setting priorities becomes vital. In the “Time Management Techniques” section below, you’ll find several different ideas for determining the priority of different items on your lists.

Once you’ve figured out which items are the most important, try a color-coding system to indicate which items get a higher priority. This will help you identify at a glance what you need to do now and what can wait until another day.

Make daily to-do lists

Make it a habit to start each day by creating a to-do list. (Not a morning person? You can do this the night before too.) Include high-priority items, as well as things you’d like to do but may not have to complete. Throughout the day, as you complete an item, revisit your list and check it off. It’s incredibly satisfying to cross things off, and checking in with your list a few times a day ensures you don’t forget important things. ADVERTISEMENT

Limit multitasking

Today’s world places a lot of value on multitasking (doing several things at once). But when you’re doing multiple things at the same time, you’re probably not doing any of them well. So keep your multitasking to a minimum. When it’s time to work on something, set your focus to that particular thing. Other stuff can wait.

But some multitasking is OK. For instance, you might throw your clothes in the washing machine, then work on your math homework while waiting for them to be ready for the dryer. Later on, you could fold and put away the laundry while practicing conjugating Spanish verbs out loud. This type of multitasking works because the physical tasks are ones that don’t require much concentration, leaving your brain free for academic subjects.

On the other hand, avoid something like trying to listen to a podcast for your history class while also doing your math homework. Your attention won’t be fully on each, and your learning will suffer.

Remove distractions

Some people are capable of deep focus no matter what’s going on around them. Most of us, though, need to find ways to remove distractions when it’s time to get down to work. Here are some examples to try:

• Turn off your phone, or set it to alert you only in case of emergencies.
• Wear noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs to block out distracting sounds. A white-noise machine or app can help with this too.
• Close miscellaneous tabs in your web browser (like social media or news sites), and use only the tabs you need for your work.
• Go into a quiet room and shut the door. Ask friends and family not to disturb you.
• Check your to-do list before you start to make sure you’re on track. Then, clear your mind of other projects or tasks, and focus on what’s at hand.

Do an end-of-day review

At the end of each day, sit down with your to-do list. Was there anything you didn’t get to? Move it to another day. Did you feel too rushed today? Think about how you might make tomorrow run a bit more smoothly. Where do you stand in terms of your big-picture goals? Take a few minutes to adjust any plans accordingly.

Try a time audit

It’s OK if you don’t get to everything on your list every day. But if you find that there’s never enough time to get things done, you might benefit from a time audit. Over the period of a week or two, write down exactly how you spend your time, hour by hour. Then, look it over and see if you can identify problem areas. You might need to cut down on some optional activities and give that time to high-priority items instead. Learn how to do a time audit here.

The time management strategies we’ve talked about so far are general ways to stay on track and get stuff done. But there are multiple ways to approach some of these strategies, especially when it comes to actually settling down to work. Check out these popular time management techniques and choose one or more that seem right for you.

Eisenhower Decision Matrix

President Eisenhower developed this matrix and used it to help him prioritize his tasks. He looked at each item to evaluate it by importance and urgency, then broke them into four categories:

• Do First: These are urgent, important tasks with high priority.
• Schedule: These are important tasks that aren’t quite as urgent.
• Delegate: You may be able to delegate less important but still urgent tasks to someone else.
• Don’t Do: These non-urgent, unimportant items can be eliminated entirely or postponed indefinitely.

Here are some possible student examples for each category:

• Do First: Homework that’s due tomorrow takes top priority, as might doing laundry if you’re out of clean clothes.
• Schedule: Set aside time (see Time Blocking) for smaller parts of long-term projects, such as research time or writing an outline. That could be today or one day in the near future.
• Delegate: Students aren’t always able to delegate their tasks, but they can ask for help. For example, if your schedule is incredibly tight, you could ask your dad if he’d be willing to throw your clothes in the dryer when the washer is done.
• Don’t Do: These are often bad habits you need to break, like surfing the web aimlessly instead of working, or texting your friends for hours instead of doing your chores.

Find out much more about the Eisenhower Matrix and how to use it for time management strategies here.

ABCDE Method

This is another time management strategy for prioritizing the tasks at hand. Assign each item a letter:

• A: Highest priority
• B: Should do soon, if not today
• C: Could do, but no serious consequences if not done
• D: Delegate or ask for help
• E: Eliminate from your list

This is very similar to the Eisenhower Matrix, with a little more flexibility around should-dos and could-dos. Learn more about the ABCDE method here.

Most Difficult First (Eat That Frog)

This method is based on a quote often attributed to Mark Twain: “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And If it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.”

In other words, don’t put off the biggest, hardest tasks. Get them out of the way first. Then, everything else you have to do will seem easy in comparison.

For some people, though, this concept can be counterproductive. If you’re already feeling overwhelmed, tackling something extremely difficult can be too much and cause you to shut down entirely. In that case, it’s just fine to choose smaller, simpler items. The key is to make progress, one step at a time.

Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique is a simple time management method: You work for 25 minutes at a time, then take a 5-minute break to rest and recharge. Simply set a timer for 25 minutes, and focus on one single task until it goes off. Then, you can spend 5 minutes stretching, resting your eyes, or checking your social media feeds. When the 5 minutes are up, set the timer for another 25 minutes, and get back to work. If you do four 25-minute sessions in a row, take a longer break afterwards. Learn more about the Pomodoro Technique here.

If 25 minutes seems too short and you’d like a little more uninterrupted time, try Flowtime instead. This stretches out both the work and break time proportionally. If you work for 25-50 minutes, take an 8-minute break. For 50-90 minutes, you get a 10-minute break. And if you’ve been at it for more than 90 minutes, take 15 minutes to recharge. Learn about Flowtime here.

Parkinson’s Law says that work will always expand to fill the amount of time available. Timeboxing seeks to shrink tasks back to the size they truly need to be. When you timebox, you set a specific amount of time for a task and complete it within that time.

In other words, you might look over your study planner and decide that you need one hour for tonight’s geometry and chemistry assignments, plus you’d like to spend another hour working on your English essay.

Set a timer and work on your geometry and chemistry for an hour, with no other distractions. When the timer goes off, reassess and adjust your goals as needed. Since you have to finish that homework tonight, you’ll probably need to add more time if you’re not finished.

Your English essay isn’t due for two weeks, though, so if you’ve boxed out one hour for working on it today, that’s all you need to do. Set a timer, determine your goals for day, and get to work. When the timer goes off, you’re done for today.

Here’s more on timeboxing.

Time Blocking

This method is similar to timeboxing, but it involves setting blocks of time aside on your calendar for specific tasks. For example, you might block out 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. each day for daily homework, 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. for working on your biology research paper, and 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for piano practice. Some people like to start each day by blocking time out on their calendar, figuring out how they’ll make the most of their time. Find out more about time blocking here.

Once you’ve selected some time management strategies to try, you’ll find plenty of tools to help make them work. Check out these top time management tools for students, from planners to timers and beyond.

Student Planners

Traditional paper planners come in a variety of styles, with some made especially for students. The most important thing is to choose one you’ll actually use, and keep it on hand at all times. See our selection of the top student planners here.

Planner Apps

Planner apps and online calendars are nice because you have access to them everywhere you go. For students, we really like:

• My Study Life

See more details on each of these here, plus more options.

Study Planners

Study planners are specific to academics, and they are a simple way to keep track of both short-term and long-term assignments, projects, and more. Check out these free printable options:

• Develop Good Habits: Study Planner
• Alex Marie: Weekly Assignments Due
• Sophia Lee: Homework Planner Pack

Time Management Apps

Planner apps are a good start, but other time management apps can help you stay on track by eliminating distractions or setting time limits. Here are a few to try:

• Pomofocus : A free online 25–5 timer with the ability to add a task list for each work segment
• Rize : An AI productivity coach that uses time tracking to improve your focus and build better work habits
• Forest : Eliminate distractions, stay on task, and grow a digital forest to celebrate your achievements

Bullet Journal

Bullet journaling has a lot of benefits, and some page setups are especially good for time management:

• Daily Schedule
• Project Planner
• Study Tracker

Check out our big roundup of bullet journal ideas here.

What time management strategies do your students find most effective? Come share your thoughts and ask for advice in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, ultimate study skills guide: tips, tricks, and strategies for every grade ..

You Might Also Like

42 Important Life Skills for Teens

Why not help your kids build these skills while they’re still at home? Continue Reading

Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. 5335 Gate Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32256

• Our Mission

Homework: Helping Students Manage their Time

Two simple strategies for guiding students to improve a crucial skill.

This is the second of two parts. Part one can be found here: Is Homework Helpful?: The 5 Questions Every Teacher Should Ask .

Teachers assign work each and every day, either in class or for homework. That is the easy part. Put it on the board, tell students to copy it down, and move on to the next item on the day’s agenda. But why don’t teachers help students figure out how much time to allot to assignments? How do students know if an assignment should take 10 minutes or 40?

It is a blind spot in my own teaching. I never realized until lately that I wasn’t supporting students with time management skills. I wasn’t developing their ability to assess an assignment and correctly evaluate how much time it should take. 

Why is this important? With good time management, students know how much time they have, how long it will take to get assignments done, and what they can accomplish in the time they have. This gives them more breathing room, which reduces the feeling of being rushed, which in turn leads to less frustration and stress.

Here are two ways to support students in understanding time management.

Do the assignment yourself.  See how long it takes you to complete the work. Then remember, you are the expert with this material. Ask yourself, how long would it take for a proficient student to complete it? What about students with disabilities, what might hinder their progress? Then provide students with a range of times. If you believe an assignment should take 15-25 minutes, let them know. The benefit of this is that it allows students to plan better. They can situate homework in the context of their entire day. A student may get home from school at 3:30 and has soccer practice at 5pm. He now knows that he can complete your homework in any 25-minute window between the end of the school day and the start of practice. The downside to this is that some students may lose confidence and doubt themselves if an assignment takes much longer than you suggested. 

Rate the assignment.  Classify assignments into three categories with time frames for each so that students know what type it is and how long it should take to complete. Here are three ways that I categorize assignments:

Quick checks:  These assignments are measuring sticks of understanding and they are short and sweet. I expect students to spend 20-50 seconds on each question on these types of assignments. A 20-question quick check should take 6-10 minutes.  

Thorough Responses:  When you want answer with more substance and more development, I look for thorough responses. These types of assignments are different than quick checks because I expect students to spend 2-4 minutes per question. Thorough responses typically have fewer questions consequently.Thorough response assignments take my students 20-35 minutes.

Sustained Thought:  When students must access new material, when there is challenging reading, or when they must chew on ideas before they formulate responses,  students can expect to spend 30-40 minutes to complete an assignment. 

This piece was originally submitted to our community forums by a reader. Due to audience interest, we’ve preserved it. The opinions expressed here are the writer’s own.

Celebrating 150 years of Harvard Summer School. Learn about our history.

8 Time Management Tips for Students

Don't let a hectic schedule get the better of you with these time management tips.

Lian Parsons

College can be a stressful time for many students and time management can be one of the most crucial — but tricky — skills to master.

Attending classes, studying for exams, making friends, and taking time to relax and decompress can quickly fill up your schedule. If you often find yourself wishing there were more hours in the day, this guide will offer time management tips for students so you can accomplish what you need to get done, have fun with your friends, and gain back some valuable time for yourself. 

1. Create a Calendar

Don’t be caught by surprise by an important paper due two days from now or a dinner with your family the same night you planned for a group study session. Create a calendar for yourself with all your upcoming deadlines, exams, social events, and other time commitments well in advance so you can see what’s coming up. 

Keep your calendar in a place where you can see it every day, such as in your planner or on your wall above your desk. If you prefer a digital calendar, check it first thing every day to keep those important events fresh and top-of-mind. For greater efficiency, make sure you can integrate it with your other tools, such as your email.

Digital calendar options include: 

• Google Calendar 
• Outlook Calendar
• Fantastical

2. Set Reminders

After you’ve created your calendar, give yourself periodic reminders to stay on track such as to complete a study guide in advance or schedule a meeting for a group project. Knowing deadlines is important; however, staying on top of the micro tasks involved in meeting those deadlines is just as important. You can set an alarm on your phone, write it down in a physical planner, or add an alert to your digital calendar. The reminders will help to prevent things from slipping through the cracks during particularly hectic days.

Make sure you’ve allotted enough time to study for that big test or write that final paper. Time management is all about setting yourself up for success in advance and giving yourself the tools to accomplish tasks with confidence. 

Read our blogs, Your Guide to Conquering College Coursework and Top 10 Study Tips to Study Like a Harvard Student , for more suggestions.

3. Build a Personalized Schedule

Each person’s day-to-day is different and unique to them, so make sure your schedule works for you. Once you’ve accounted for consistent commitments such as classes or your shifts at work, add in study sessions, extracurriculars, chores and errands, and social engagements.

Consider your personal rhythm. If you typically start your day energized, plan to study or accomplish chores then. If you fall into an afternoon slump, give yourself that time to take a guilt-free TV break or see friends.

Having a schedule that works for you will help maximize your time. Plus, knowing exactly when your laundry day is or when your intramural volleyball practice is every week will help you avoid trying to cram everything in one day (or running out of clean socks!)

Explore summer college courses.

4. Use Tools That Work For You

Just like your calendar and schedule, the tools you use to keep you organized should be the right fit for you. Some students prefer physical planners and paper, while some prefer going totally digital. Your calendar can help you with long-term planning, but most of these tools are best for prioritizing from day to day.

Explore what best suits your needs with some of the following suggestions:

Planners can help you keep track of long-term deadlines, such as important essay deadlines, upcoming exams, and appointments and meetings. They often provide a monthly overview each month, as well as day-to-day planning sections, so you can stay ahead. 

• Papier – Offers a 20% student discount 

If your schedule is jam-packed and you have trouble figuring out what to do and when, scheduling day by day—and sometimes even hour by hour—can help you slot in everything you need to do with less stress.

• Structured app

Note Taking

From class to study sessions to errands, keeping track of everything can feel overwhelming. Keeping everything in one place, whether on the go or at your desk, can help keep you organized.

• Bullet journals

5. Prioritize

Sometimes there really is too much to do with too little time. In these instances, take just a few minutes to evaluate your priorities. Consider which deadlines are most urgent, as well as how much energy you have. 

If you are able to complete simple tasks first, try getting them out of the way before moving on to tasks that require a lot of focus. This can help to alleviate some of the pressure by checking a couple things off your to-do list without getting bogged down too early.

If you are struggling to fit everything in your schedule, consider what you can postpone or what you can simply say no to. Your friends will likely understand if you have to meet them for coffee another time in order to get in a final library session before a challenging exam. 

6. Make Time to Have Fun — And For Yourself

Time management isn’t just about getting work done. It’s also about ensuring that you can put yourself and your mental wellbeing first. Consistently including time for yourself in your schedule helps to keep your mental health and your life in balance. It can also be helpful to have things to look forward to when going through stressful periods.  

Whether it’s going for a bike ride along the river, spending time with your friends and family, or simply sleeping in on a Sunday, knowing you have space to relax and do things you enjoy can provide better peace of mind. 

7. Find Support 

Preparation and organization can sometimes only get you so far. Luckily, you have plenty of people rooting for your success. Keep yourself and your classmates on task by finding an accountability partner or study buddies. Remind your roommates when you need extra space to work on a paper. 

Your school’s academic resource center is also there to support you and point you in the right direction if you need additional help. Getting—and staying—organized is a collaborative effort and no one can do it on their own. 

8. Be Realistic and Flexible 

Sometimes unforeseen circumstances will come up or you simply may not be able to get to everything you set out to do in a given day. Be patient with yourself when things don’t go exactly to plan. When building your calendar, schedule, and priorities list, be realistic about what you can accomplish and include buffer time if you’re unsure. This can help to reduce obstacles and potential friction.

Time management isn’t just about sticking to a rigid schedule—it’s also about giving yourself space for change.

Learn more about our summer programs.

About the Author

Lian Parsons is a Boston-based writer and journalist. She is currently a digital content producer at Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education. Her bylines can be found at the Harvard Gazette, Boston Art Review, Radcliffe Magazine, Experience Magazine, and iPondr.

Managing Stress in High School

Our reasons may vary, but everyone experiences stress. Here are some of the common reasons high school students feel stressed, and what they can do about it.

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.

Seven Time Management Strategies For Students

College often comes with a unique set of time-related challenges as you try to balance educational demands and personal commitments. In addition, whether you’re living in a dorm, a college apartment, or at home, staying focused can be difficult, thanks to endless social opportunities and constant access to technology. You may believe there aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish all that you’d like to do. To help, we’ve rounded up some effective time management strategies for students so you can find ways to make the most of every day. It may also be beneficial to work with a mental health professional who can help you determine the best schedule for your needs.

1. Test various time management techniques

In the quest for maximum productivity, researchers have identified several effective time management techniques. Test them out and see which one helps you stay on track. In general, the best strategy is the one to which you are most likely to adhere. 

Time-blocking

Popularized by Elon Musk, time-blocking generally involves breaking your day into increments and mapping out exactly what you will do during each block of time. This technique may lend itself well to college student schedules, where time is already blocked out for classes during the day.

To maximize the impact of this time management technique, it can be helpful to begin with a time audit. Break your day into 15-minute increments and spend a few days recording what you’re doing during each block of time. Once you have this information, you can review the data and determine how you’re currently spending your time and if it lines up with what you want to be doing. For example, you may discover you’re spending much more time on your phone than you realized or that your productivity slows when you go too long between meals. 

Once you’re ready to try time-blocking, begin by scheduling the non-negotiables. Mark your class times, mealtimes, and time to sleep. Then, you might move on to school responsibilities, blocking time to study and complete homework throughout the week. Finally, you can include personal time, such as going to the gym and spending time with your friends. 

To make time-blocking truly effective, here are a few tips:

• Schedule time to study during your most productive hours.
• Readjust your schedule as you see what does and doesn’t work for you.
• Allow a five-minute break in between each block so that you don’t sense you are completely locked into the schedule and can give yourself time for a quick scroll or email check.

Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique was created by author Francesco Cirillo and named after the pomodoro tomato-shaped timer he used to track his time. In this technique, you stay focused for 25 minutes of deep work, then allow a two- to five-minute break before resuming your work. 

While Cirillo found that the 25/5 schedule worked best, there are other ways to implement the strategy. The main point is that you set aside a large chunk of time for focused work with no distractions, and then allow yourself a short break. You might commit to setting your phone on Do Not Disturb for that 25-minute span, knowing that after you’ve engaged in deep work, you’ll give yourself time to respond to texts or check Instagram.

Because it’s focused specifically on your work sessions, the Pomodoro Technique can be combined with other strategies, such as time-blocking. For example, if you scheduled an hour to study for an upcoming test, your study block may look something like this: 

• 1:00-1:25: Study notes
• 1:25-1:30: Eat a snack and check email
• 1:30-1:55: Review flashcards
• 1:55-2:00: Check social media

Parkinson’s Law

This concept refers to the idea that work expands to fill the time available for its completion. Parkinson’s Law is less of a specific strategy and more of an approach to the way you view work and deadlines. It can be especially useful for someone who tends to procrastinate or finds themselves constantly busy and, as a result, exhausted. 

Here are a few examples of how you could use Parkinson’s Law to more efficiently complete tasks:

• Set a deadline for yourself of 11:59 AM instead of 11:59 PM.
• Go to the library to work on a paper, but leave your laptop charger in your dorm room so you have to finish before your computer dies.
• Set a timer for how long you’ll scroll social media or binge the newest season of your favorite show. 

 2. Utilize tools and apps

A variety of digital tools and apps are available to help you manage your time. 

Keeping up with several classes’ worth of assignments and test dates can be overwhelming. Add in the busy social life associated with college–such as Greek life and clubs–and it can seem almost impossible to remember when everything must be done. Using a calendar app to keep track of all important dates can help you stay on top of upcoming events and assignments. 

• Color code your calendar by commitment, such as red for schoolwork, yellow for personal commitments, green for club events, etc.
• When you enter due dates into your calendar, set reminders a few days or weeks in advance.
• Collaborate with classmates to share a class calendar so that you can split the work of entering important dates.
• Find out if your institution’s academic platform has a calendar that the professor uses and see if you can sync it to your personal calendar. 

To-do lists

Keep a running to-do list on your phone of things you need to accomplish and categorize tasks by the amount of time you think they’ll require. When you find yourself with some free time, check your list and choose a task that you can complete in the amount of time you have available. 

The most basic digital tools can sometimes lend themselves to the best time management strategies. Use your phone clock to set a timer when you’re implementing a time management technique. You can also update your phone settings to set limits for time-draining apps, allowing yourself only a certain amount of use each day. 

3. Break your goals into manageable steps

Some tasks on your class-related to-do list may seem so massive that you don’t even know where to begin. “Write a research paper” and “Find an internship” are vague and potentially overwhelming tasks. You’ll likely get farther if you break them into manageable steps with a set timeline. 

Here’s what that may look like: You have a midterm coming up in three weeks. Instead of studying aimlessly throughout the next few weeks or cramming the night before the test, create a schedule. Break the content into sections and assign each section a few days to study, limiting yourself to one or two tasks a day. Your plan might end up looking something like this: 

• October 15: Study Chapter 1 vocabulary with flashcards
• October 16: Reread Chapter 1
• October 17: Review Chapter 1 notes and lectures
• October 18: Study Chapter 2 vocabulary with flashcards
• October 19: Reread Chapter 2 and attend study group
• October 20: Review Chapter 2 notes and lectures
• October 21: Study Chapter 3 vocabulary with flashcards
• October 22: Reread Chapter 3
• October 22: Review Chapter 3 notes and lectures and attend study group
• October 23: Exam

4. Start with the most important tasks

One popular time management technique is dubbed the Eat the Frog Method after the Mark Twain quote, “If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first.”

When you begin your day by crossing off the most critical tasks on your to-do list, you can prevent them from hanging over your head for the remainder of the day and ensure that they are accomplished, even if something comes up later in the day and your plans go awry. 

For college students, implementing this method may look a little different than for people working an eight-hour shift Monday through Friday. You might use the Eat the Frog Method to schedule your study and homework sessions. Make a list of the tasks you need to accomplish, and then prioritize the one you dread the most. 

5. Remove or reduce distractions

Take some time to think about what keeps you from focusing on your work. Even well-intentioned tasks, like cleaning your room, can be negative when they prevent you from completing assignments or studying for an important test. Implement policies and routines that remove or reduce distractions and lead to better time management habits, as well as stronger self-discipline. You might choose to do the following:

• Study in the library instead of your dorm room
• Delete apps that often prevent you from focusing
• Turn on Do Not Disturb mode on your phone so notifications don’t come through

6. Take breaks

One of the most effective time management tips may be realizing that you don’t need to be productive 24/7. In a study that analyzed 5.5 million time-tracking logs, one company found that the most productive people follow a general pattern . They work for approximately 52 minutes, and then take a 17-minute break. This 15- to 20-minute pause may be enough time to refresh your brain without throwing you off-track.

7. Schedule time for yourself

The demands of college can leave you with little time to take care of yourself. You may believe that eating three meals a day and getting adequate sleep is all you can manage. However, by implementing effective time management techniques, you can regain control of your time and ensure you have the capacity for self-care as well. Spend time doing things that benefit your mental and emotional health. Schedule dinner with a friend, go for a long walk around campus, or engage in a hobby you enjoy. 

Resources for time management support

Along with the tools and apps listed above, several other resources can help you effectively manage your time: 

• Calendly is available to schedule online meetings.
• Asana and Trello can help you map out small steps toward a large goal.
• Todoist is designed to help you schedule your commitments. 
• Freedom can block time-wasting websites and apps. 
• RescueTime can be used to audit your time.

It may be difficult to look at your current schedule and find ways to better manage your time. Sometimes, it can help to have an outside perspective. A therapist may be able to help you come up with better time management strategies and identify barriers that are keeping you from practicing time-related self-discipline.

However, if you’re already struggling to find enough time in the day, traveling to a therapist may seem nearly impossible. Online therapy has the benefit of being accessible from wherever you are, and with platforms like BetterHelp , you can schedule therapy sessions at convenient times, whether that’s between classes or late at night once you’ve wrapped up the day. 

While researchers haven’t yet investigated the efficacy of online therapy for learning time-management skills, existing studies suggest that both online and in-person therapy can effectively address various mental health challenges and concerns .

A variety of time management tips for students can help you make the most of your day and keep you from becoming overwhelmed. It can be helpful to test out different time management tips until you discern what works best for your individual needs. If you’ve noticed that you’re struggling to manage your time and don’t understand why, a therapist may offer insight and help you choose the most beneficial time management strategies. With an online therapy platform like BetterHelp, you can meet with a licensed mental health provider at a time that’s convenient for your busy schedule.

• Anxiety In College Students: A Student’s Guide To Coping With Anxiety Medically reviewed by Julie Dodson , MA
• The Importance Of Mental Health In Schools, Colleges And Beyond Medically reviewed by Julie Dodson , MA
• Relationships and Relations

Table of Contents

Why is time management important for students, 10 time management skills and techniques for students, working smarter to enhance productivity, the benefits of good time management, how well do you manage your time, general time-management tools, time management in practice, implications of poor time management, how to better manage your time at work, choose the right program.

Effective time management is all about achieving the right balance between your homework, university/college life, and your free time. As a student, organizing your days will eliminate stress and ensure that you are productive. The general time management tips for students, such as sleeping well, scheduling, and prioritizing, are some important tips that can help students in the long run. A more strategic approach is required to optimize the time a student has in a day.

Earn 60 PDUs: Pick from 6 Courses

Time management for students (and everyone else) is about making your day purposeful. It is about taking control of the time you have and optimizing it for focus, productivity , and above all, balance. Before we list out the time management tips for students, it is crucial for students to understand why time management is important.

All of us should make the most of the limited amount of time we have in a day. It is very easy to get wrapped up in a fury of various activities and accomplish less. Managing time effectively enables students to become more confident, and organized, and learn more efficiently. Effective time management skills are particularly essential for high school students, as they have to deal with more subjects, tests, assignments, and extracurriculars. Time management techniques can help students be on track and cope with the stress of added responsibilities. 

Following are a few more reasons why time management is important for students:

Enables You to Accomplish Your Goals Faster

Appropriate time management makes one more effective and encourages you to give your best to what you are doing and what you can, thus helping you achieve your goals much faster.

Enables You to Prioritize Your Work

When creating a timetable, you prioritize and arrange essential tasks that need immediate attention. For example, students have to complete assignments before attending a session. A student can fit in time to work on the assignments before attending a study group with correct time management.

Enables You to Get More Done in Less Time

Dedicating a specified amount of time to a particular task helps you focus on it. Instead of working on a given task with no predefined time assigned, you can complete the same task by sticking to a time plan. Without a time plan, you might completely forget to finish a task.

Reduces Stress Levels 

Time management skills can help you prioritize the time required for essential tasks; prioritizing tasks and having enough time to accomplish those tasks means reduced stress levels.

Helps You Become More Efficient

Effective time management helps you to be more focused at school/college/university, thus increasing your efficiency and enabling you to accomplish more within less time.

So, how can students learn to manage time more effectively? We have collated a list of the best time management tips for students to beat procrastination, stay focused, and be more productive.

Efficient time management is one of the primary keys to success, and thus, it is worth learning. Following are time management strategies for students to help them manage their time in the best possible manner.

1. Make Use of a Daily Schedule Template to Plan Your Day

Seminars, classes, and workshops may take up a chunk of your day, but how one schedules their own time makes all the difference. It is essential to master your schedule.

A daily schedule template helps you manage and control your time each day. It will enable you to stay organized and focus on what matters most and even help you overcome procrastination. The method that most successful people from Elon Musk to Bill Gates use is “time blocking”. Time blocking is creating a template for how you intend to spend every minute of your day. Students should therefore follow this method to manage their time more fruitfully.

2. Understand How You are Currently Spending Your Time (And Where You Are Losing It)

Your schedule will offer you an ideal version of your day, but you need to analyze how you spend your time to develop better time management habits. Without understanding how you are spending your time each day, it is impossible to build better time management strategies for students to stay focused.

3. Set Proper Goals to Measure Your Progress

Goals are an excellent way to get you motivated to do school work. However, the problem is that goals are just the result, with you not knowing how to achieve them. So, focus on what needs to be done to achieve that goal by focusing on constant progress and developing better habits. For example, if you need to write a 5,000-word essay in a month, set a daily goal of writing 500 words. If you continue this, you can complete your essay in a week.

4. Break Large Projects Into Smaller, Actionable Tasks

A part of proper goal-setting is to segregate large goals from smaller daily tasks. Doing this will help you stay focused and stop you from procrastinating. It is easy to procrastinate when a project feels like a huge task. However, taking that first step is all you need to build momentum.

6% Growth in PM Jobs By 2024 - Upskill Now

5. Be Realistic About the Time You Need to Complete a Task

Once you begin to schedule your tasks for the day, you may get overly optimistic about how much you can achieve. Psychologists also have a name for this – The Planning Fallacy. One of the most effective time management tips for students is to counter the planning fallacy. Students should add a buffer to their schedule depending on how familiar they are with the task. If it is something that has been done before, then 1-1.5X time must be allocated to the time they think it may take to complete the project.

6. Pay Attention to Your Body’s Natural Energy Highs and Lows

We all have moments in the day when we are more energetic and alert. And if you want to exploit the time you have each day to its maximum, you cannot fight against your body’s natural state. What does this mean in terms of time management tips for students ? Simply put, students should do their most essential work when they feel most energetic. This means scheduling intense projects during energy highs and scheduling passive activities when the body is at its natural low.

7. Take Breaks at the Right Time

Take more breaks to manage your productivity over time. But when exactly is the right time to take a break? Sleep researcher Nathaniel Kleitman states, “our minds naturally crave breaks after every 90 minutes of intense work. Even if you do not have a timer going, your body will let you know that you need a break by turning sleepy, fidgeting, hungry, or losing focus”. When you begin to feel this way, you know it is time to take a break.

8. Remove Distractions

Between social media, cell phones, and friends, there are so many activities that can distract students from their school work. When it is time to get down to doing school work, students need to turn off their cell phones and sign out of social media accounts. Any amount of time that is devoted to school work must be television and cell phone free!

9. Avoid Multitasking

It may be tempting for students to feel that they can multitask when their schedule is jam-packed. But the more one tries to do it at once, the longer each thing takes. Instead, studies have found that deeply focusing on one task at a time can be around 500% more productive.

10. Build Better Routines and Habits for Long-Term Success

We are what we repetitively do. One of the best time management strategies for students and everyone else is to develop routines and habits that endorse the kind of actions you would like to do more of, for example, following a morning routine that concentrates on getting an early win and prepping yourself for a productive day. Or, ensure your evening routine preps you for an effective next day by setting your goals and schedules the night before.

When planning, prioritize the more extensive, more complex, and time-consuming chores at the beginning of the week (or day), so you may complete them first and relax more as the week progresses. Front-load your week to maximize your chances of success. This is similar to Eat That Frog, a productivity strategy that recommends performing the most important or influential activity first every day to ensure it gets done.

Constant meetings, social media, and an endless stream of emails may make it challenging to create a productive day. Developing effective habits at work will enable you to accomplish your best job regularly. You have two options for increasing your productivity. You may work longer hours if you bring your job home with you. You may also work smarter by boosting efficiency without sacrificing quality. Let's look at some significant benefits of good time management are: 

Stress Relief

One of the primary causes of increased stress is poor time management. When you have a lot to accomplish and are unsure how to do it, you usually perform a rush job under pressure. However, with proper time management, you can schedule your daily chores so that you work smarter rather than harder. For example, you may prepare critical tasks for when you're most productive or set aside additional time for things you suspect will take longer than expected. So, even if you work longer, you will have enough time to complete everything while being calm.

By identifying task completion time, you can use less energy and worry less about whether you can achieve everything you need to do today. Instead, make time to take a break from your typical routine. You may preserve energy for your spare time since time management helps you to plan when your task will be completed before you begin it. Having more free time can help you achieve a better work-life balance and ensure you make time for yourself.

More Opportunities

Effective time management may help you achieve more success by improving the quality of your work. When you manage your time well, you not only provide excellent work on schedule, but you also work without stress. This displays improved decision-making abilities and potential for leadership . In other words, you exhibit traits that are necessary for job advancement. This will provide you with greater and more chances.

Ability to Realize Goals

You may simplify your day and spend less time selecting what to do or how to accomplish it if you use time management to arrange what you need to complete each day. For example, deciding what to do for each step before commencing the project may be beneficial if you have a complex project with an outline that requires several yet unclear phases. The project is then reduced to a short set of activities that give guidance. You save time by preparing your objectives rather than finding them out as you go. This might mean spending less time pondering what you should be doing and more time doing it.

There are several approaches you may use based on your time management abilities and experience, but the goal is to explain a system that works for you and makes sense in the position you're going for. In other words, if you're working in a team atmosphere, discuss an efficient time management approach for teamwork, such as getting everyone acquainted with project management software. Then, discuss the advantages of employing this method for time management. Going into depth about how this technique has worked for you demonstrates to the interviewer that you have real-world experience adopting this way to manage your time and aren't simply making it up.

Time management is critical to your success. You may achieve any goal you set your mind to by using an excellent time planner and master list. These are common time management tools and practices that you should employ to maximize productivity and personal organization. Each of these takes some effort to learn and perfect, but they will pay you back in increased efficiency and effectiveness for the rest of your life.

Prioritization

The 80/20 rule was developed by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It's believed that 20% of activities are accountable for 80% of results. The purpose of Pareto analysis is to assist you in prioritizing tasks that are most successful at issue resolution. List some of the difficulties you are experiencing. Determine the fundamental source of each issue. Assign a score to each problem and arrange them by cause. Add the scores from each group: The topic should be addressed first in the group with the highest score. Take some action.

Scheduling is the art of preparing your activities so that you may accomplish your goals and prioritize your priorities in the time you have available. When done correctly, it can assist you in realizing what you can do with your time. Ensure you leave adequate time for import duties and only take on what you can do.

Goal Setting

Smart goals enable people to plan and attain their objectives in a reasonable amount of time. It can also aid in improving time management in professional contexts such as school and the workplace. Smart goal planning may give direction for your aims and help you build practical measures to attain those goals if you want to manage your time wisely.

Concentration and Focus

Distractions are a major impediment to personal time management. Close the door to avoid as many distractions as possible. Only pay attention to what you're doing right now.

In terms of significance, describe your top two distractions over the next two weeks. Remember that staying focused during the day necessitates proper sleep habits and enough fluids.

Effective time management entails completing more vital tasks in a single day. Effective time management is more important than efficient time management. The most successful time managers are also the most efficient. Try some time management software. The first time management tool you require is a time planner, which provides all the information you need to plan and arrange your life. The most excellent time planners, whether looseleaf or electronic, allow you to prepare for the whole year, the month, the week, and each day.

We all know that there never seems to be enough time in the day, and as a result, things slip by the wayside. While this occurs to the best of us from time to time, students who battle with time management regularly are doing themselves no favors.

Poor Workflow

Poor efficiency results from a failure to plan and keep to goals. For example, completing related chores concurrently or sequentially is an intelligent approach if many significant tasks need to be accomplished. However, if you plan, you may be able to bounce back and forth, or backtrack, in your job. This equates to decreased efficiency and output.

Wasted Time

Wasted time arises from poor time management. For example, chatting with pals on social media while working on an assignment is a distraction and a waste of time.

Loss of Control

You will lose control of your professional life if you do not know the next assignment. This might lead to increased tension and worry.

Poor Quality of Work

The quality of your work could be better when you manage your time well. Quality is often degraded when things are rushed at the last minute.

Poor Reputation

When clients or your company cannot rely on you to finish things on time, their expectations and impressions of you suffer. A client who needs to trust you to complete a task on schedule will likely look for another service provider.

Your ability to manage your time affects how productive you are each day. You can accomplish more in less time with effective time management, which also helps you feel less stressed and advance in your profession. Instead of just using the following tools as a timetable to complete more tasks, make them represent your values—what is most important to you. When you arrange and calendar your time and make the split-second decisions essential to efficient time management for balance and well-being, remember these principles.

1. Know How You’re Spending Your Time

You need to keep track of what you do with your time to identify any activities or routines preventing you from achieving your desired objectives. You must start and end each day with a purpose to make the most of your time.

You have two choices for keeping track of your time:

• Spend a day or two manually recording your activities in a "time log."
• To automatically log your time, use a free program like RescueTime.

2. Stick to a Daily Schedule

While making a to-do list is a common theme in time and productivity management advice for students, mastering your daily schedule is even more crucial. 

Time blocking is the strategy of choice for many of the most successful people in the world, including Bill Gates and Elon Musk. But time blocking is planning how to spend each minute of your day.

• Create Realistic Timelines: A schedule must be practical to be effective. Plan your study time wisely to increase your study skills. The study techniques of the students vary from one another. This entails scheduling time for breaks, meals, exercise, social interaction, phone calls to loved ones, and all other "non-school" activities that keep you content and motivated.
• Give your undivided Attention: Your best friend in this situation is "self-discipline" and "self-control." If you must take a break, do so, but try to avoid sneaking away to other websites while working. Turn off your phone or put it away until it's time for a scheduled break.

3. Prioritize

1440 minutes make up one day. Within these hours, you must set practical priorities. Setting suitable priorities for your study goals is one of the sage study advice. If you have a lot of material to learn, start breaking it down into manageable chunks and choose what is most crucial. One of the best study strategies is making the most of your morning hours when nobody is awake to disturb you since they are asleep.

• Do immediately: Tasks that are crucial and have clear deadlines, or ones you've put off so long they're past due.
• Schedule for later: Crucial assignments with no set deadlines.
• Delegate: Those tasks that others can execute.
• Delete: Activities you can skip since they are optional to achieving your objectives or carrying out your mission.

4. Tackle the Most Difficult Task First

You should complete your most crucial tasks when you're most energetic. This entails arranging writing or other demanding tasks for when your energy levels are at their highest and reading or other passive pursuits for when they are at their lowest.

Brian Tracy's renowned Eat That Frog productivity technique is quite effective for those who delay or find themselves procrastinating frequently or who may have difficulty avoiding distractions. It suggests starting with the task that is the hardest, most complicated, and most critical, i.e., the one you're most inclined to put off for later. Once you've "devoured that frog," only then should you move on; that too without much stress.

5. Batch-Process Similar Tasks

Task batching is when you organize related jobs or tasks into groups and finish them all at once. Using this method, you can easily cut down on multitasking and extend your time to give all your projects your full attention.

For instance: At around 10 to 11 a.m. daily, organize and respond to emails and organize your digital study materials simultaneously.

6. Set Reasonable Time Limits

Focus on what has to be done to reach and surpass the objective instead of starting at the end and moving backward. You might take a full day to finish two different tasks that could be completed in only three hours if you had a full day to do so. There's a good possibility you'll still reach the earlier deadline if you give yourself a shorter window.

What can you do every day to further your ultimate aim? This entails putting an emphasis on steady improvement and forming improved routines. Even better, seeing daily progress will spur you to do more. Work "expands to occupy the time given to do it," according to Parkinson's law.

7. Learn When to Say No

Our energy levels are limited each day and tend to decrease with time. It is wise to know your limits and be prepared to say no to prevent doing subpar work. Understand your advantages and disadvantages. It is ideal for concentrating on one's strengths and delegating tasks that others can complete more quickly and effectively.

8. Avoid Multitasking

Concentrate on one item at a time to manage your time and commit it to study effectively. Nothing gets accomplished when you attempt to perform too many tasks at once. So, starting with one activity, finishing it, and moving on to another is one of the greatest study- focus- ideas .

When your schedule is packed, believing you can multitask is tempting. But everything takes longer the more you try to complete it at once. Instead, studies show that concentrating intently on a single activity can increase productivity by up to 500% . The American Psychological Association claims that mental juggling comes with "switching costs" that reduce your output. Changing tasks may take a few seconds each, but it adds up if you multitask regularly. Your potential for error also increases.

9. Keep Things Organized

Efficiency will rise if your workspace is tidy and organized because you won't have time to look for paper. Learning how to be organized is a talent that can be known. Start with these fundamentals.

• Maintain a clean work desk: The office's physical surroundings greatly impact how you operate. When your environment is chaotic, you are too. You can also be affected by clutter in less direct ways. Research has demonstrated that your physical settings substantially impact your cognition, emotions, and behavior, affecting how you make decisions and interact with others.
• Coordinate your computer files and shared drives: Loss of files and decreased productivity might result from improperly arranging shared files. Nothing is more confusing than spending most of your working hours searching your system for files. Create distinct folders for your files according to their categories to save yourself the hassle.
• Use a calendar: Using a well-organized calendar, you can manage your time to keep on top of your to-do lists and maintain focus throughout the workday. Although many executives have secretaries who work their calendars, anyone may utilize the same procedures to become more productive.

Level up your project management skills with Simplilearn's comprehensive courses. Gain practical knowledge, industry insights, and globally recognized certifications. Take charge of your career and achieve project success with Simplilearn!

Program Name PMP® Certification Training Course PMP Plus Post Graduate Program In Project Management Geo All Geos All Geos All Geos University PMI Simplilearn University of Massachusetts Amherst Course Duration 90 Days of Flexible Access to Online Classes 36 Months 6 Months Coding experience reqd No No No Skills you wll learn 8+ PM skills including Work Breakdown Structure, Gantt Charts, Resource Allocation, Leadership and more. 6 courses including Project Management, Agile Scrum Master, Implementing a PMO, and More 9+ skills including Project Management, Quality Management, Agile Management, Design Thinking and More. Additional Benefits -Experiential learning through case studies -Global Teaching Assistance -35PDUs -Learn by working on real-world problems -24x7 Learning support from mentors -Earn 60+ PDU’s -3 year course access Cost $$ $$$$ $$$$ Explore Program Explore Program Explore Program

Time management for students is highly intimidating, especially when you have multiple things on your to-do list. It is one of the most challenging tasks for students as they are expected to fare well and produce good results while handling the pressures of school assignments, homework, projects, and maintaining a social life. However, with our list of time management tips for students, we are confident that students will be able to come up with an arrangement to ensure that every day is as productive as possible. 

As you know, there is never an end to learning. To make your day more effective, you can always take up courses as a student to boost your career. A PMP® Certification Training  from Simplilearn will help you master core project management tools as a strategic tool for business transformation.

Our Project Management Courses Duration And Fees

Project Management Courses typically range from a few weeks to several months, with fees varying based on program and institution.

Recommended Reads

An Introduction to Project Management: A Beginner’s Guide

6 Effective Time Management Tips For Achieving Your Goals

The Best Guide to Time Series Forecasting in R

How to Pass the PMP Exam on Your 1st Attempt?

Top 16 Time Management Skills to Help You Become a Success

A Simplified and Complete Guide to Learn Space and Time Complexity

Get Affiliated Certifications with Live Class programs

Pmp® certification training.

• Access to Digital Materials from PMI
• 12 Full-Length Simulation Test Papers (180 Questions Each)

Professional Certificate Program in Project Management

• Receive a course completion certificate and UMass Alumni Association membership
• Learn from industry professionals and certified instructors who bring years of practical experience and expertise to the classroom
• PMP, PMI, PMBOK, CAPM, PgMP, PfMP, ACP, PBA, RMP, SP, and OPM3 are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

9 Strategies to better manage your time

Jump to section

What is time management?

Why is effective time management important, benefits of effective time management.

Time management strategies and tactics

Time management skills

How to strengthen your time management skills.

We want to complete everything important to us in a timely fashion. But sometimes, it doesn’t seem like there are enough hours in the day. Especially in this new normal , people feel the strain on time and seek effective time management strategies as they’re pulled in more directions than ever before.

Thankfully, good time management can help to make your days more efficient and effective. Essentially, it can help you feel like you have more hours in a day.

But for many of us, time management is an aspiration –– it’s something we’re all working to improve. And there’s no ideal solution for every person. So we provided a list of some actionable time management tips to boost your productivity as you find the right strategies that work for you.

Let’s explore effective time management and the skills necessary to use your time constructively in the long term.

Time management is the deliberate process of deciding how to use your time and allocating it across tasks and activities. With planning and control, effective time management enables you to do more of what is important to you while meeting your responsibilities and commitments.

Time management is certainly not a new concept.

From Henry Ford’s introduction of the assembly line to the current rainbow of organizational tools and apps, the modern age revolves around time. 

As individuals, our time is a limited resource. We treat it like currency. We spend it, guard it, waste it, and trade it for value. Yet we struggle to control it. 

We don’t have an easy solution to poor time management. And many factors cause it. 

Let’s look at what we do know and dive into some new ways of viewing how we (and our teams ) use time.

Doing more with less is a strategy that many companies encourage. Be it a smaller workforce, fewer resources, or leaner budgets. Many workers have experienced some type of “belt-tightening” in the last few years.

But doing more with less can also be a shorthand for understanding and executing priorities.

Time management is how you demonstrate your priorities and your ability to act on them.

Showing practical time management skills can be a way of demonstrating your worth to a company — worth that just might save your job or earn you a promotion .

Managing your time well comes with a long list of benefits. Let’s take a look at four of them.

1. More time to spend where you need (or want) it

Not to belabor the obvious, but if you’re using your time more effectively, you’ll free up time in the day or week. And here’s something that might not be so obvious: you don’t have to use that extra time to work. Time management lets you do more of what matters to you .

Try to create a better work-life balance for yourself . Head out for a walk, schedule a coffee with a friend or colleague, or take a class you’ve been curious to try. The choice is yours!

2. Ability to realize goals

Simply put, setting and realizing goals feels terrific.

Once you’re managing your time better, you can make goal-setting a part of your routine. Then you’ll get to experience the satisfaction that comes with accomplishing them regularly. 

Plus, sharing the goals you’ve set and your achievement of them is a great way to earn kudos from your manager and the whole team. 

If you aren’t sure where to start when building out your goals, try creating a personal vision statement . This declaration can act as a compass to help guide you in the right direction.

3. More growth opportunities 

Do you want to gain a new skill at work ? Are you ready to expand your reach into a new territory or be considered for a promotion? 

Becoming a great leader and learning a new skill require time.

You’re more likely to be afforded these opportunities if you’re consistently seen as a good manager of your time.

4. Reduced stress 

Perhaps the most significant benefit to using your time more efficiently is the potential to lower your stress . This could be finishing a project before it becomes a crisis, keeping your work hours at a reasonable amount, or even being able to carve out time for fulfilling activities. 

These are all ways that an effective time management technique can help with stress and overall mental health .

Time management strategies and tips

Here are  elements that can assist you in improving how you manage time:

• Create the right environment
• Prioritize again
• Set some goals
• Build good habits
• Perform a time audit
• Create a stop-doing list
• Stop multitasking

1. Create the right environment.

Have a physical space that is organized, uncluttered, and convenient.

It can save you undue time searching for files or papers, shuffling unneeded materials out of the way, or even tracking down a paperclip. Taking some time to master your organizational skills will save you more time in the long run.

Be particularly aware of additional challenges that you might face when working remotely .

2. Prioritize

Deciding where to spend your time can be a task in itself. But by prioritizing upfront, you can get the urgent tasks out on time and the essential tasks completed as well.

3. Prioritize again

On the flip side of tackling the critical things is that you may also need to identify tasks or distractions that are neither urgent nor important.

Ask yourself: Does it need to be done by you? Can you delegate the task ? Does it need to be done at all? 

If the answer is no, take action to clear the decks (and your mind) to tackle the most important, pressing items first.

4. Set some goals

Charging ahead on a project — or a workweek — without setting goals is like zooming out of your driveway without knowing where you’re headed. 

It may seem counterintuitive, but spending time on goal setting will likely save you time in the long run. It’s a concept known as “go slow to go fast.”

Try stepping up your organization skills so you clearly understand where you’re going and what will be most vital to help you get there. This consideration enables you to focus on what truly matters.

5. Build good habits

Some people prefer to plan the next day before they leave work, while others prefer to plan within the first 30 minutes of the day.

Some find it productive to block large chunks of time to think/write/design, while others work best in short sprints . The primary takeaway is to spend 5 minutes at the end of each day reflecting on what worked and what didn’t . This will help you understand what works best for you and your situation.

Once you figure out how you work best, stick with it. Build your habits into your workday to get the most out of your self-management skills .

6. Perform a time audit

Do you know where your workday goes? Are you confident in your perception of how you spend your time each day and week?

A time audit can be an illuminating activity to show you just how you are spending your time. You’ll learn what is consuming your days and where you might be able to claim some time back.

Does this feel like a risky activity? No one other than you needs to know that you’re auditing your own productivity .

7. Create a stop-doing list

If a to-do list hasn’t been effective for you, maybe you’ll benefit from flipping it on its side. A stop-doing list is an intentional look at the time wasters that you want to stop.

These could be in the form of a digital detox including social media scrolling and video watching, or even meetings that don’t pertain to your work. Being more intentional about the “don’ts” could help you concentrate more on the “dos.”

Block your time differently. With so much to accomplish, it might be tempting to separate your daily schedule into tightly structured blocks of time.

But it might be more effective if you round up your time estimates for each important task.

Add additional time (10–25%) to how long you think each task will take. Then, when the inevitable delay or glitch happens, you’re not automatically running behind.

This time management technique could be particularly useful for people who chronically overestimate how quickly they work or those who underestimate potential delays.

You can also create a weekly schedule to get a high-level overview of what you need to complete.

8. Stop multitasking

It’s a fallacy that highly effective people constantly juggle multiple minor tasks. Research has shown that multitasking hurts our performance and our well-being.

Ineffective multitasking could be keeping on top of emails while creating a slide deck. Or taking work calls during a commute . You will be much more effective, move through your projects more quickly, and do far better work if you concentrate on one thing at a time. Turn off your email and text notifications, mute your phone, and dig into the task at hand. It will pay off in both the short and the long run.

According to Erich C. Dierdorff , professor of management and entrepreneurship at the Richard H. Driehaus College of Business at DePaul University, it takes more than these activities to gain ownership of our time. There are three primary skills needed to implement the strategies listed above and gain long-lasting benefits from them:

• Awareness : how you see and value time and its limitations
• Arrangement : the tactile part of time management, including planning and scheduling activities and goals
• Adaptation : how you pivot as time runs out or priorities shift 

Though these skills are often overlooked, Dierdorff states that they’re crucial to effective time management.

Strengthening these skills isn’t as straightforward as opening an app. But by investing your time in developing self-awareness , understanding your habits, and building new ones, you can increase your chances of managing time more effectively.

Develop self-awareness of your time management abilities

To improve your time management skills, you must first understand how you currently function. Building self-awareness around how you manage your time will set a baseline for you to improve upon. 

Try the activities below to grow your awareness of how you manage your time:

• Garner feedback from coworkers, a boss, or your peers
• Use a time-tracking tool to measure the activities you spend your time on and use this as a baseline
• Get to know yourself with a few questions:
• What time of day do you work best?
• Do you tend to over or underestimate how long tasks will take?
• Do you stay busy but less productive?
• Are you more effective or efficient?
• What kinds of projects do you tackle head-on, and which cause you to procrastinate ?

Get to know yourself and your relationship to time

Without getting too meta, ask yourself how your personality relates to time. Do you consider yourself more of a go-getter who likes to get a jump on things early? Or do you prefer to divide your time between multiple tasks?

Understanding how your personality and habits relate to time will help you identify the time management skills you should invest in first.

To get a better idea of how your personality relates to time, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I tend to complete a task before moving on to the next one?
• Do I work better under pressure and leave projects until the last minute?
• How do I prioritize?
• How do I delegate?
• How do I approach a new task?

This is not a finite list, but questions like these can help you identify your areas of focus.

Identify the time management skills you want to work on

Deciding which area requires the most improvement first could jump right out at you, or you might need to do a little digging. But knowing whether you should address your prioritization skills, or your ability to adapt to change, is vital to improving your overall time management.

You may discover that you want to improve more than one area. If that is the case, try starting with one area first and then progress once you’ve gotten the hang of the first skill.

Signs of poor time management

Just as there are benefits to effective time management, drawbacks come with poor time management skills. Let’s take a look at six of them.

1. Wasted time

If good time management skills can score you more time, it should be no surprise that the opposite is also true. If you’re off-task — jumping from one project to another or otherwise using your time inefficiently — your work is going to take longer to complete. Less time will be available for other work projects or time away from the job

2. Lack of delegation

There’s often going to be more on your plate than you can do. And if you’re not managing your time well, you probably aren’t staying very organized either. Because of this, you may struggle to use the readily available help.

It isn’t easy to delegate if you aren’t clear about the task at hand and exactly how others can help. So it’s inevitable that the work will keep piling up.

3. Loss of control

Simply put, if you aren’t in control of your time, it is in control of you.

Poor time management skills can make it difficult for you to predict when you will complete a project or be available to take on something else. Then, you aren’t in control of your time or your work .

What usually happens when we don’t feel in control? We can become stressed , frustrated, unhappy, and dissatisfied with our lives. When you don’t have control, you also don’t have time and attention to give yourself entirely to other parts of your life: relationships , health , goals.

4. Poor quality of work

If poor time management leads you to complete projects in a rushed manner, likely, the quality of your work will also suffer.

Effective collaboration and communication are required to deliver the best final product. So, while it may feel like you do your best work when up against a deadline, here’s the reality: without the opportunity to give your work a final edit or run it past the eyes of a colleague, chances are errors will slip by you. 

5. Poor reputation

If you look at this list so far, you can see that the employee it describes isn’t going to be highly regarded in the company. Have you become an employee that can’t be counted on during a rush? Is your project management ineffective? Do you want your coworkers to view you this way? 

As your reputation suffers, so will your chances for advancement and growth.

6. Failure to achieve goals

How you spend your hours is how you spend your days. Ultimately, it’s how you spend your life.

Sure, we all have days that are chaotic or consumed by endless tasks that we don’t love and would prefer not to do. But if this is the norm, rather than the exception, looking at how you spend your time can offer a helpful check. 

The next question is: is the way you are spending your time within your control or outside of it? 

If it is within your control, developing your time management skills can get you closer to living the life you want to be living.

3 steps to managing your time better

Managing your time is possible with proactive reflection and by developing fundamental skills. Here are the first three steps we recommend taking to jumpstart your journey and improve your time management:

• Start by building self-awareness and understanding how you view your time and which skills need improvement
• Perform a time audit to see where and how you’re spending your time
• Experiment with the strategies above to develop your time management skills

Start managing your time better today

Now you know how important time management is and what some of its many benefits are.

It’s time to start making minor changes to your time management strategies.

Try to catch yourself when you’re multitasking and choose to focus on one task. Perform a time audit to see where all of your time is going. Or attempt one of the other strategies that we discussed.

Are you struggling with getting your time management under control? Reach out to BetterUp for personalized coaching that will help you save time in no time.

Understand Yourself Better:

Big 5 Personality Test

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

8 time management skills to help reclaim your work-life balance

Using the eisenhower matrix to make the most of your time, manage your energy, not your time: how to work smarter and faster, the pomodoro technique: how a break can improve productivity and well-being, eat the frog meaning: why finish complicated tasks first, make the most of your time with the best time management tools, what is an action plan how to become a real-life action hero, mastering time blocking: tips & tricks to conquer your day, 9 project management (pm) tools that help you get the job done, 20 stress management strategies to find balance, avoiding procrastination in 3, 2, 1: learn about the 2-minute rule, multitasking isn't working: a science-backed approach to a better day, the 7 best strategies to help you empower your team, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

3100 E 5th Street, Suite 350 Austin, TX 78702

Users agree that automated translations may not effectively convert the intended design, meaning, and/or context of the website, may not translate images or PDF content, and may not take into account regional language differences. Any person that uses the translated site does so at that person’s own risk. UGA Extension is not responsible for any damages, costs, liability, or risk associated with any use, functionality, and/or content of the website translations.

For more information, visit the Language Translation page.

Time Management: 10 Strategies for Better Time Management

The term Time Management is a misnomer. You cannot manage time; you manage the events in your life in relation to time. You may often wish for more time, but you only get 24 hours, 1,440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds each day. How you use that time depends on skills learned through self-analysis, planning, evaluation, and self-control. Much like money, time is both valuable and limited. It must be protected, used wisely, and budgeted.

• Are more productive.
• Have more energy for things they need to accomplish.
• Feel less stressed.
• Have more free time to do the things they want.
• Get more things done.
• Relate more positively to others.
• Feel better about themselves. (Dodd and Subdheim, 2005)

Finding a time management strategy that works best for you depends on your personality, ability to self-motivate, and level of self-discipline. By incorporating some, or all the ten strategies below, you can more effectively manage your time.

1. Know How You Spend Your Time

A time log is a helpful way to determine how you use your time. Record what you are doing in 15-minute intervals for a week or two. Evaluate the results:

• Did everything you needed to do get done?
• Which tasks require the most time?
• What time of day when you are most productive?
• Where is most of your time is devoted (i.e. job, family, personal, recreation)?

Identifying your most time-consuming tasks and determining whether you are investing your time in the most important activities can help you to determine a course of action. Having a good sense of the time required for routine tasks can help you be more realistic in planning and estimating how much time is available for other activities. Many apps exist to help you keep track of your time, as mentioned in Strategy 3.

2. Set Priorities

Managing your time effectively requires a distinction between what is important and what is urgent (MacKenzie, 1990). Experts agree that the most important tasks usually aren’t the most urgent tasks. However, we tend to let the urgent tasks dominate our lives. Covey, Merrill, and Merrill (1994) categorize activities into four quadrants in their Time Management Matrix: urgent, not urgent, important, and not important. While activities that are both urgent and important must be done, Covey et al. suggests spending less time on activities that are not important (regardless of their urgency) to gain time for activities that are not urgent but important. Focusing on these important activities allows you to gain greater control over your time and may reduce the number of important tasks that become urgent.

Creating a "to do” list is an easy way to prioritize. Whether you need a daily, weekly, or monthly list depends on your lifestyle. Be careful to keep list-making from getting out of control. List manageable tasks rather than goals or multi-step plans. Rank the items on your “to do” list in order of priority (both important and urgent). You may choose to group items in categories such as high priority, medium priority, or low priority; number them in order of priority; or use a color-coding system. The goal is not to mark off the most items, but to mark off the highest priority items (MacKenzie, 1990). A prioritized “to do” list allows you to set boundaries so you can say “no” to activities that may be interesting or provide a sense of achievement but do not fit your basic priorities.

3. Use a Planning Tool

When using a planning tool:

• Always record your information on the tool itself. Jotting notes elsewhere that must be transferred later is inefficient and wastes more time.
• Review your planning tool daily.
• Keep a list of your priorities in your planning tool and refer to it often.
• Keep planning tools synchronized. If you keep more than one, make sure your phone, computer, and paper planning tools match.
• Keep a back-up system.

Apps on your phone can be great planning tools. Apps typically fall into one of the following categories:

• Time Trackers – Gain an awareness of how you spend your time.
• Time Savers – Increase productivity and break time-wasting habits.
• Task Managers – Prioritize and organize tasks to improve time management.
• Habit Developers – Create healthy habits to encourage time management.

4. Get Organized

Disorganization leads to poor time management. Research has shown that clutter has a strong negative impact on perceived well-being (Roster, 2016). To improve your time management, get organized.

Set up three boxes (or corners of a room) labeled "Keep," "Give Away," and "Toss." Sort items into these boxes. Discard items in your “Toss” box. Your "Give Away" box may include items you want to sell, donate, or discard.

The next step is to improve the time you spend processing information. For example, tasks such as email can eat up your day. To combat wasted time, implement an email organization system that allows you to process the information in each email as efficiently as possible. Use folders, flagging, or a color-coded system to keep track of what’s what.

5. Schedule Appropriately

Scheduling is more than just recording what must be done (e.g., meetings and appointments). Be sure to build in time for the things you want to do. Effective scheduling requires you to know yourself. Your time log should help you to identify times when you are most productive and alert. Plan your most challenging tasks for when you have the most energy. Block out time for your high priority activities first and protect that time from interruptions.

Schedule small tasks such as drafting an email, creating a grocery shopping list, reading, watching webinars or listening to podcasts for long commutes or when waiting for a call or appointment. Capitalize on what would otherwise be time lost. Avoid nonproductive activities, such as playing games or scrolling through social media. Limit scheduled time to about three-fourths of your day to allow for creative activities such as planning, dreaming, and thinking.

6. Delegate: Get Help from Others

Delegating means assigning responsibility for a task to someone else, freeing up your time for tasks that require your expertise. Identify tasks others can do and select the appropriate person(s) to do them. Select someone with the appropriate skills, experience, interest, and authority needed to accomplish the task. Be specific. Define the task and your expectations while allowing the person some freedom to personalize the task. Check how well the person is progressing periodically and provide any assistance, being careful not to take over the responsibility. Finally, reward the person for a job well done or make suggestions for improvements if needed. (Dodd and Sundheim, 2005). Another way to get help is to “buy” time by obtaining goods or services that save time. For example, paying someone to mow your lawn or clean your house, or joining a carpool for your children’s extracurricular activities frees time for other activities. The time-savings from hiring someone for specialized projects is often worth the cost.

7. Stop Procrastinating

People put off tasks for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the task seems overwhelming or unpleasant. To help stop procrastination, consider “eating the big frog first.” A quote commonly attributed to Mark Twain says, “If it’s your job to eat a frog today, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the big frog first.” Unpleasant tasks we procrastinate completing are “big frogs.” Complete these tasks as your first action of the day to get them out of the way. Another option is to “snowball” your tasks by breaking them down into smaller segments, completing preparatory tasks, and eventually completing the larger task at hand. Whether you choose the “big frog first” or “snowball” method, try building in a reward system for completed tasks to help stay motivated.

8. Manage Time-Wasters

Reduce or eliminate time spent in these activities by implementing some simple tips.

Handheld Devices

• Take advantage of voice-to-text features such as transcribed voicemails or to make notes or draft emails and text messages when you are on the go.
• Avoid small talk. Stay focused.
• Take any necessary action immediately following a call.
• Impose screen time limits and regularly monitor your digital wellness (see Strategy 10).
• Schedule breaks from your devices.
• Set aside a specific time to view and respond to email, but don’t let it accumulate to the point it becomes overwhelming to sort.
• Turn off notifications for email.
• Handle each item only once if possible.
• Immediately delete or unsubscribe from junk emails.
• Keep address books up-to-date and organized.
• Utilize built-in shortcuts to sort email.

Unexpected Visitors

• Schedule time for face-to-face visits.
• Inform visitors of your time constraints and politely offer to reschedule.
• Set a mutually agreeable time limit for the visit.
• When someone comes to the door, stand up and have your meeting standing to help keep it brief.

In-Person and Virtual Meetings

• Know the purpose of the meeting in advance.
• Arrive early.
• Start and end the meeting on time.
• Prepare an agenda and stick to it. Use a timed agenda, if necessary.
• Don’t schedule meetings unless they are necessary and have a specific purpose or agenda.
• Use recording software or designate a note-taker.

Family Obligations

• Use and sync virtual calendars for easy sharing between busy family members.
• Make each family member responsible for consulting the master calendar for potential conflicts.
• Create a central area or agreed upon app for posting communications such as appointment reminders, announcements, and messages.

9. Avoid Multi-tasking

Psychological studies have shown that multi-tasking does not save time. In fact, the opposite is often true. You lose time when switching from one task to another, resulting in a loss of productivity (Rubinsteim, Meyer, and Evans, 2001). Routine multi-tasking may lead to difficulty in concentrating and maintaining focus. Do your best to focus on just one task at a time by keeping your area clear of distractions, including turning off notifications on your devices, and set aside dedicated time for specific tasks.

10. Stay Healthy

The care and attention you give yourself is an important investment of time. Scheduling time to relax or do nothing helps you rejuvenate physically and mentally, enabling you to accomplish tasks more quickly and easily. Be sure to monitor your screen time as a part of your digital well-being, setting boundaries to stay healthy. A study conducted by Google showed that four out of five study participants who took steps to improve their digital well-being believe their overall well-being was positively impacted as well (Google, 2019). To improve your digital well-being, set time limits or utilizing built-in software on electronic devices such as phones and tablets to help maintain your digital wellness. Blue light blockers and grayscale mode may also help you improve your digital well-being. Set a time each night to shut off all digital devices to give your mind time to relax; this can also help improve your sleep schedule.

Unfortunately, poor time management and too much screen time can result in fatigue, moodiness, and more frequent illness. To reduce stress, reward yourself for time management successes. Take time to recognize that you have accomplished a major task or challenge before moving on to the next activity.

Whatever time management strategies you use, take time to evaluate how they have worked for you. Do you have a healthy balance between work and home life? Are you accomplishing the tasks that are most important in your life? Are you investing enough time in your own personal well being? If the answer is “no” to any of these questions, then reevaluate your time management strategies and transition to ones that will work better for you. Successful time management leads to greater personal happiness, more accomplishments at home and at work, and a more satisfying future.

Previously updated by: Roxie Price, University of Georgia Extension Dana Carney, University of Georgia Extension Rachael Clews, K-State Research and Extension

Originally written by: Sue W. Chapman, retired, UGA Extension Michael Rupured, retired, UGA Extension

Covey, S. R., Merrill, A. R., & Merrill, R. R. (1994). First things first: To live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy . Simon & Schuster.

Dodd, P., & Sundheim, D. (2005). The 25 best time management tools and techniques: How to get more done without driving yourself crazy . Peak Performance Press, Inc.

Google, Global (DE, ES, FR, IT, PL, U.K., U.S.). (2019). Digital wellbeing survey (General population, 18+ years, n=97).

MacKenzie, A. (1990). The time trap (3rd ed.). American Management Association.

Roster, C., Ferrari, J., & Jurkat, M. (2016, March 16). The dark side of home: Assessing possession ‘clutter’ on subjective well-being. Journal of Environmental Psychology , 46 , 32–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2016.03.003

Rubinsteim, J., Meyer, D., & Evans, J. (2001). Executive control of cognitive processes in task switching. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 27 (4), 763–797. https://doi.org/10.1037/0096-1523.27.4.763

Status and Revision History Published with Full Review on Apr 25, 2014 Published with Minor Revisions on Aug 26, 2020 Published with Full Review on Feb 19, 2024

Have a question?

Related publications.

Online Students

For All Online Programs

International Students

On Campus, need or have Visa

Campus Students

For All Campus Programs

Time Management Strategies: 8 Tips for Balancing College and Life

Juggling family, career and college coursework requires more than just a can-do attitude. Understanding how to manage your time is critical if you want to crush your academic goals, but you shouldn’t have to sacrifice your health or sanity in the process.

By following effective management techniques, you can balance the demands of college, career and life.

What is Time Management?

Time management refers to your ability to plan and control how you spend your day to effectively accomplish the goals you’ve set. This involves dividing time among each of the domains of your life —  work, family, and social life , according to Psychology Today .

Because everyone’s goals are different and carry a different weight, it’s important to set clear priorities to separate non-essential tasks or “time wasters” from the activities that really matter. Poor time management skills can not only lead to habits like procrastination  but can cause undue anxiety and erode your overall quality of life.

“Time management is probably the single most important skill that will help a student succeed,” said Academic Advisor Colin Deyman , who advises undergraduate STEM students at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). “How well a student manages his or her time will also affect overall well-being — at the end of the week or at the end of the term.”

“Staying on top of coursework requires some planning and determination to stick to scheduled study times,” Shannon said.

“Some students think that without the travel time, their study time will just happen. In reality, they need to schedule in their schoolwork just like other appointments,” said Darby-Sue Perry , a business planning analyst at SNHU and former academic advisor.

Benefits of Time Management

While establishing a concrete plan may seem daunting, it can pay off in enormous dividends. Everyone gets 24 hours in any given day. Gaining insight into how to spend your time and how you can better allocate it to the tasks that matter most can bring you a greater sense of freedom.

Some of the benefits of time management include experiencing less stress, fewer mistakes, more free time and space to pursue new opportunities. By sticking to a schedule, you are bound to increase your overall productivity at school and at work, according to Indeed , which also noted there are many benefits to effective time management:

• Properly preparing for a project before it begins can help you increase the pace and the quality of your work.
• By prioritizing tasks, you can then distribute your energy in the right amounts across different projects.
• If you have your schoolwork under control, you’ll be less likely to feel stressed about other aspects of your life. Good time management will allow you to relax when you need to and prioritize other commitments and relationships outside of college or work.

8 Tips to Help You Manage Time Better

There are some tried-and-true techniques that can help you master time management. Like any habit you develop, you can become better at it through practice. Looking for a list of practical time management tips? Here are a few.

1. Understand what your assignments entail and when they are due.

Whether you are taking one class or several, chances are your coursework will include a mix of short-term and long-term assignments. Writing down deadlines for each one and breaking longer-term assignments into tasks with their own deadlines can help you avoid beginning a major project at the last minute.

“I let my students know that if they are aware that writing papers takes them longer, they shouldn’t procrastinate,” said SNHU academic advisor Madeline Upham , who advises STEM  undergraduate students. “My favorite time management tip is for students to break their work into manageable chunks over the course of a week, month or term. They can then look at the big picture of their responsibilities over the course of a specific time frame and schedule themselves to ensure completion.”

2. Develop a schedule and stick to it. 

Do you have more energy in the morning or the evening? If you find yourself losing steam after dinner, it can be tempting to forgo assignments for TV time. While you may not be able to control every aspect of your schedule, there are many parts you can control.

You might prefer to write on the weekends and read before your workday begins, for example. You might also find that you work better free from distractions, which might mean spending time at a local coffee shop rather at your kitchen table.

Despite your best scheduling efforts, unexpected life events do happen. Students need to be flexible and make adjustments to their schedules — but ultimately must hold themselves accountable for getting their work done, Deyman said.

“Successful students consistently communicate when necessary and do not allow excuses, no matter how legitimate, get in the way of the goals they have set for themselves,” he said. 

3. Create an environment that helps you focus.

Some work best in a coffee shop, and others prefer to study at home. While some can't focus without listening to music, others find it to be a distraction. Figuring out what works best to help you focus can make you more productive.

Displaying the things that motivate you can also put you in a focused mindset. For example, hanging inspirational quotes on your wall might help you to stay on task, reminding you what you're working toward.

Breshears surrounds herself with messages that inspire her, along with her first diploma from SNHU.

4. Use technology wisely.

“Social media usage and general internet surfing are constant temptations, especially when course content may not be exciting or engaging to a student,” Deyman said. “Students can be bombarded by notifications constantly, which can take attention away from the task at hand. Ideally, students should put their phones away and close browser windows ... to avoid losing focus.”

However, you can also use technology to your advantage. There are many productivity tools that can help you become more organized or stay focused. You can use spreadsheet tools like Excel or Google Sheets to organize your projects or assignments, then use a calendar app to remember important deadlines.

5. Set time limits on specific tasks.

“I use timers as needed, but over the years I have come to understand how long it takes me to complete certain tasks, which then makes it easier for me to anticipate what I can actually get done in a day,” she said.

Alonci also recommended sticking to the same routines to ensure that reoccurring tasks (such as house chores and grocery shopping) don’t fall by the wayside.

Asking friends or family to hold you accountable for how you spend your time can also help you set limits.

6. Ask for help.

“Have a great relationship with your advisor," said Lacey May '20 , who earned an online human services degree  at SNHU. "I can call and know mine will help me any and every way he can. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your professors. If you’re (struggling), don’t struggle alone. Speak up and say something to get help.”

If you're worried about falling behind or are dealing with personal issues, you can reach out to your instructors or advisor. 

“Your instructors understand that life gets busy sometimes, so don't be afraid to let them know what's going on," said alumna Nancy Uliano '18 . "They'll usually work with you if you have any issues, so you don't fall behind or fail.”

7. Schedule rewards for tasks completed.

“The hardest part about time management while taking classes online is making sure to prioritize time for rest, recharging and social life. When you miss those things, you run out of energy and burn out quickly, “ Alonci said.

Akhter would plan lunches with his colleagues, hit the gym three times a week and find time to hang out with friends off-campus.

“Yes, a majority of that time goes to classes and work, but I always make time for my personal life,” he said.

8. Be kind to yourself.

“It will feel overwhelming at first, but take deep breaths, and you will get through the hard times," said Marlene Shafer '21 , who completed her bachelor's in psychology  at SNHU and is now pursuing a master's in criminal justice . "If you manage your time well and remember there is life outside of class, you will do great."

What are the 5 Ps of Time Management?

There are a lot of different ways to manage your time, and it can be hard to remember all of them. These 5 P's can help you to recall them quickly:

• Plan ahead.
• Prioritize your tasks.
• Productivity tools can help you succeed.
• Procrastination can cause you to fall behind and lead to more stress.
• Personal time is important.

Even if you struggle with time management, it’s a skill you can build. Using these time management techniques, you can successfully balance the demands of college, career and life.

A degree can change your life. Choose your program  from 200+ SNHU degrees that can take you where you want to go.

Krysten Godfrey Maddocks ’11G is a writer who covers K-12 and higher education topics, including policy and the role of digital technology in education. She spent almost a decade working in various marketing roles at an educational assessment company before launching a strategic marketing company. Maddocks earned a master's degree in marketing from Southern New Hampshire University and a bachelor's degree in English/ journalism from the University of New Hampshire. Connect with her on LinkedIn .

Explore more content like this article

What is Considered Plagiarism And How to Avoid It

Degrees vs. Certificate Programs: What's the Difference?

How Many Credits Do You Need to Graduate College?

About southern new hampshire university.

SNHU is a nonprofit, accredited university with a mission to make high-quality education more accessible and affordable for everyone.

Founded in 1932, and online since 1995, we’ve helped countless students reach their goals with flexible, career-focused programs . Our 300-acre campus in Manchester, NH is home to over 3,000 students, and we serve over 135,000 students online. Visit our about SNHU  page to learn more about our mission, accreditations, leadership team, national recognitions and awards.

How My Homework Helped Me With Time Management

Table of Contents

Introduction

What is time management.

Time management is the ability to use your time wisely to accomplish more daily. It involves setting priorities and ensuring you use your time wisely by first working on the most critical tasks.

How Homework Helps with Time Management

Tips to improve your time management skills, my personal experience, share this:.

• Product overview
• All features
• Latest feature release
• App integrations

CAPABILITIES

• project icon Project management
• Project views
• Custom fields
• Status updates
• goal icon Goals and reporting
• Reporting dashboards
• workflow icon Workflows and automation
• portfolio icon Resource management
• Capacity planning
• Time tracking
• my-task icon Admin and security
• Admin console
• asana-intelligence icon Asana AI
• list icon Personal
• premium icon Starter
• briefcase icon Advanced
• Goal management
• Organizational planning
• Campaign management
• Creative production
• Content calendars
• Marketing strategic planning
• Resource planning
• Project intake
• Product launches
• Employee onboarding
• View all uses arrow-right icon
• Project plans
• Team goals & objectives
• Team continuity
• Meeting agenda
• View all templates arrow-right icon
• Work management resources Discover best practices, watch webinars, get insights
• Customer stories See how the world's best organizations drive work innovation with Asana
• Help Center Get lots of tips, tricks, and advice to get the most from Asana
• Asana Academy Sign up for interactive courses and webinars to learn Asana
• Developers Learn more about building apps on the Asana platform
• Community programs Connect with and learn from Asana customers around the world
• Events Find out about upcoming events near you
• Partners Learn more about our partner programs
• Asana for nonprofits Get more information on our nonprofit discount program, and apply.

Featured Reads

• Productivity |
• 18 time management tips, strategies, an ...

18 time management tips, strategies, and quick wins to get your best work done

Today, we’re constantly interrupted by tools, notifications, emails, social media—you name it. In our distraction economy, chaos has become the norm.

Time management templates can help you take back your time and bring more mindfulness into your daily routine. Instead of letting your to-do list dictate how you spend your time, you can use time management strategies to intentionally set your daily priorities and focus on the most relevant work.

There isn’t one right way to manage your time. In this article, we’ll cover 18 different tips, strategies, and quick wins to help you take back control of your tasks—and your time.

What is time management?

Time management is the practice of managing your work in order to ensure you’re spending your time as intentionally as possible. Time management can  increase productivity —but the biggest advantage of effective time management is the ability to better prioritize your day so you can make space for rest and self care.

The benefits of time management

Good time management strategies can help you organize and prioritize tasks so you can:

Feel like you have more time in your day.  When you’re intentional about where your time is going, you may find that you reduce unnecessary tasks, de-prioritize work that doesn’t need to get done today, and accomplish things in less time. You won’t literally have more time in your day—but you may find that you accomplish more in the same amount of time.

Establish boundaries between work and personal time.  Improving your time management isn’t about squeezing out every second of productivity you have at work. Rather, these strategies can help you get your most important work done—and identify what work can wait until tomorrow. By prioritizing the work that needs to get done today and clarifying what work you can defer to a later date, you’re also establishing boundaries between your work time and your personal time.

Reduce stress.  Without effective time management, it can feel like you never have enough time at work. You might feel like you’re running around and putting out fires—which can lead to increased stress and, ultimately, burnout. In fact, according to the  Anatomy of Work Index , 71% of knowledge workers reported feeling burnout at least once in 2020.

Improve productivity.  There are a variety of time management tips to help reduce procrastination and increase productivity. By identifying your main priorities for the day, you won’t just be more productive—you can also feel confident that you’re working on the right things each day.

Break bad habits.  No one wants to procrastinate. But over time, bad habits can pile up and get in the way of high-impact work. (Trust us, we’ve been there too.) Time management strategies can help you identify and break out of bad habits.

6 time management strategies to increase productivity

One of the easiest ways to build your time management skills is to incorporate a tried-and-true time management strategy into your daily routine. Time management strategies help you set time limits on work, tackle one task at a time, and schedule your day with more intention.

1. Timeboxing

Timeboxing  is a goal-oriented time management strategy where you complete work within “timeboxes.” This strategy is particularly effective if you aren’t sure how much time you’re spending on each task and want to approach your  to-do list  more intentionally.

Timeboxing helps you break down large tasks into smaller pieces, and then complete those pieces in a reasonable amount of time. Each task should have its own unique timebox that lasts no more than three hours. For example, if you need to write a blog post, you might create a two-hour timebox to write an outline. Then after taking a break, you can create another three hour timebox to begin the first draft. By breaking the work into smaller pieces, you can make steady progress towards your goal over the course of days or weeks.

2. Time blocking

Time blocking  is similar to timeboxing, but instead of scheduling specific time for each individual task, you’ll practice blocking off set periods of your calendar for related work. When you use time blocking to schedule your work, you’re effectively breaking the work week into discrete time slots where you can work on projects, communicate with coworkers, take a break, or even exercise. Time blocking can help you dedicate more time to flow and  deep work  by allowing you to focus without being interrupted.

To create a time block, start by figuring out your daily or weekly priorities. Then, group similar tasks so you can work on them in one time block. Finally, practice scheduling blocks of focus time on your calendar to help you stick to your time blocked schedule.

3. Pomodoro method

Similar to timeboxing and time blocking, the  Pomodoro method  helps you tackle work within short time frames and then take breaks between working sessions. The Pomodoro time management strategy is particularly helpful because it actively encourages regular breaks, which are good for intrinsic motivation —and good for your brain. In fact, research suggests that taking breaks makes people  more creative .

To use the Pomodoro method, you need a timer, a prioritized to-do list, and a “snooze” feature on your notifications. Start by setting your timer for 25 minutes, and try to spend that time exclusively working on a task—avoid checking your text messages or social media if possible. Then, once time is up, take a five minute break. Ideally, aim to do something physical during your break, like grabbing a snack or getting up to stretch—but it’s ok to check your devices or see if you got an important ping while you were focused on your task.

Repeat the process of working for 25 minutes and then taking a five minute break four times. Then, after the fourth working session, take a longer 20-30 minute break.

4. Eat the Frog

Mark Twain famously said, “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning.” The  Eat the Frog  time management strategy takes inspiration from this quote and encourages you to tackle big or complex tasks first before working on your less important or less urgent work. This strategy is particularly helpful if you split your days between regular, daily work and high-priority tasks.

With the Eat the Frog method, you can ensure you’re getting to your most important work every day. To get started with this time management strategy, make sure you’re tracking your work and priorities in a centralized tool. Look for a way to connect your  daily tasks to company goals . That way, you can better identify which tasks to prioritize every day, and make sure you get those to-dos done first. Then, once you’ve eaten your frog for the day, you can move on to the rest of your work.

5. Pareto principle

If eating a frog first thing in the morning doesn’t sound appetizing, you might prefer the Pareto time management strategy. The  Pareto principle  is the opposite of the Eat the Frog method—this strategy encourages you to get quick tasks out of the way, so you can feel more accomplished and motivated as you head into your day.

Often called the “80/20 rule,” the Pareto principle has one fundamental rule: you spend 20% of your time on 80% of your work. If you can get those 80% of your tasks out of the way in relatively quick order, you free up your workday to tackle the 20% of your work that will take 80% of your time.

6. Getting Things Done (GTD)

The  Getting Things Done  method was invented by David Allen in the early 2000s. According to Allen, the first step to getting things done is to write down everything you need to do. By freeing up brain power and instead relying on  task management tools , you can focus on taking action—and not remembering what you need to do.

To use the GTD method, capture all of your upcoming work in one place. Then once you’ve written down everything you need to do, sort and prioritize your work. For example, you might have work you no longer need to do (that goes in the “trash”), work you want to do eventually but not right now (that goes into a “later” project or folder), work that is dependent on other tasks, and so on. The tool should capture all the details—it’s your job to take action on them.

6 time management tips to get more done

You may or may not like using an established time management strategy to organize your work. Not every time management strategy is effective for every person—that’s why there are so many of them in the first place. Instead, try these six tips to build your time management skills.

1. Connect daily work to goals

Time management isn’t always about getting all of your work done—rather, it’s about identifying and prioritizing your most important work. In order to do that, you need to connect your day-to-day work to team or company goals so you can identify the most important tasks to tackle daily. But, according to a recent  survey of over 6,000 global knowledge workers , only 26% of employees say they have a very clear understanding of how their individual work relates to company goals.

The best way to coordinate work and priorities across all levels of your organization is with a  work management tool . With work management, you can connect daily work and team projects to company objectives, so your team members always understand how their work impacts company priorities.

To ensure we’re prioritizing the right work, we use OKRs to set quarterly goals that ladder up to bi-annual goals. On a weekly cadence, our team leads make sure that the work the team is doing ladders up to these goals.”

2. Prioritize and organize your work

Whether you like the Eat the Frog method or prefer the Getting Things Done approach, it’s critical to know which tasks are important. Inevitably, you’ll have a task that shifts in priority or a deadline that gets moved up or down. If you don’t have clarity on which work is more important, you won’t be able to adapt and prioritize the right work.

Why does prioritizing work matter? You might be familiar with burnout, which impacts a growing number of global employees every year. But what’s less documented is how unclear priorities contribute to burnout. According to the  Anatomy of Work Index , 29% of the knowledge workers who reported feeling burnout cited feeling overworked from a lack of clarity on tasks and roles as a contributing factor. Knowing which tasks to prioritiz

e can help reduce that feeling and increase confidence that you’re working on the right tasks every day.

3. Plan ahead at the end of each day

The workday often feels like a scramble because we’re already behind by the time we get started. If you’re the type of person who goes through emails every morning trying to figure out what to prioritize for the day, you’re not alone. Fortunately, there’s a better way.

Instead of trying to figure out what you should be doing in the morning, spend the last five minutes of each day preparing for the next one. This can increase motivation because you know exactly what you’re doing every day before you even log on. It’s also a valuable way to make sure you’re going to get your most important work done every day. Instead of reacting to an email or request at 4:30 in the afternoon, you can make sure to incorporate that important work into the next day’s schedule.

4. Say “no” or delegate

One advantage of clarifying your priorities is that you gain an understanding of what’s less of a priority as well. It’s not always easy to say “no” to work—but it helps when you can explain that you’re saying “no” because the work doesn’t align with your current priorities. Defining priorities for yourself—and sharing those priorities with your team members—can give everyone more clarity.

If the work has to get done, but still isn’t a priority for you, see if you can delegate it to another team member . Keep in mind—delegating doesn’t mean the task isn’t important, it just means the work isn’t in line with your current priorities. It could be that this work is more relevant for someone else’s expertise—and when you reassign it to them, you’re ensuring the work is done by the best person for the job.

A strategy we have put in place to make sure our team is efficient is to be clear around what you will and won't do as a team... Having clear visibility of your work makes decisions easier around what you will focus on and what you won't focus on. If you can be very clear around that it helps drive efficiency and clarity around what our teams need to be focusing on.”

5. Audit your tasks

Similar to saying “no” to work, take some time to look through tasks you committed to a while back and are still working on. Is there anything that’s currently on your plate that no longer aligns with your team’s goals?

When you find these tasks, ask yourself if this work needs to be done at all. If it’s no longer important to your team, consider putting the work on hold. If the task still needs to be done, ask yourself if you’re the best person for the job—and if not, go through the same delegation exercise to figure out who is.

6. Ditch handwritten to-dos—use a tool

If you’re still tracking your work by hand, it’s time to upgrade to an online tool. As satisfying as it can be to take notes manually, written  to-do lists  are disorganized, prone to mistakes, easy to lose, and ineffective.

Instead, make sure the majority of your project management is happening in a dedicated tool.  Project management tools  offer a variety of features that make it easier to get the most out of your time. With a project management tool you can:

Coordinate cross-functional work and track exactly who’s doing what by when.

Communicate about work, share feedback, and  report on project status  in one place.

Track progress in real time to accurately see where work stands.

See due dates and  dependencies so you can hit your goals without scrambling.

Plus, if you think there’s nothing quite like crossing a task off your written to-do list, wait until you see a herd of  celebration creatures  fly across your computer screen.

6 time management quick wins

The time management strategies and tips we outlined above are helpful—but they take some time to implement. Looking to get started in the next five minutes? Try these six quick wins to improve your time management right now.

1. Snooze notifications

We’re constantly bouncing between apps, notifications, and tasks. In fact, the average knowledge worker  switches between 10 apps  up to 25 times per day. That’s why it’s harder to focus on the task at hand and get into a good flow—which means work takes longer.

When you can, turn off your notifications or use “Do not Disturb” features to temporarily disable notifications. That way, you can dive into deep work—while also letting your team know you’ll be getting back to them later. Most tools show that you’re temporarily snoozed, so team members know not to expect a reply from you right away. If necessary, they can usually choose to override the feature, so you’re never too far out of reach.

To be most productive, I find it helpful to block off time between meetings when I intend to work on different projects, making sure to leave time for short breaks. I also find it helpful when I (and folks around me) update Slack statuses to “Heads down” so nobody expects an immediate response.”

2. Organize your physical space

Think back to how clean your desk was when you first set it up. You likely had a computer monitor and a keyboard, maybe a notepad, but probably not much else. If you’re anything like us, that clean desk didn’t last long. Over time, you’ve inevitably accumulated papers, boxes, books, sticky notes, and stray wires.

A messy desk might not seem like much, but visual clutter can influence mental clutter, and make it hard to focus. Take a quick five minute break to organize your desk. Throw away any papers that are no longer necessary, stack your books in a neat row, and coil any stray wires that might be lying around. Then, when you get back to work, you may find that it's easier to focus.

3. Group like tasks

Every time you switch between tasks, your brain has to find the relevant context and information for that new task and bring that knowledge to the forefront of your mind. Sure, it takes mere seconds for your brain to do that—but if you’re constantly switching between tasks and projects, that means you’re forcing your brain to work overtime.

This can lead to reduced productivity—not to mention increased exhaustion at the end of the day. So instead, try to group like tasks. See if you can work on all of your tasks for one project, or all tasks for the same deliverable, in the same time block. When you do, you’ll spend less time context-switching and more time focused on getting high-impact work done.

Working in batches, especially with planning, really helps you prioritize the work while still giving you the ability to be dynamic to what's happening or what may be coming.”

4. Work on quick tasks in between meetings or focus time

You likely have a few tasks every day that take five or 10 minutes to complete. These can be quick responses to a team member, fixing a typo on a document, or submitting a work request form to another coworker.

If you have this type of work, store it somewhere that’s front and center—like a project management tool—but don’t immediately work on it. Instead, save these tasks for those five minutes between meetings or 10 minutes immediately after lunch as you get back into the swing of things. Not only will you be able to quickly tackle this work—and feel good for doing it—they also won’t take up valuable mental energy that could be spent on more complex work.

5. Stop trying to multitask

Simply put, multitasking is a myth . While it might feel like you’re doing more than one thing at the same time, when you attempt to multitask you’re actually forcing your brain to quickly switch between tasks. Every time you switch between work, your brain needs to find the information and context for that task. Not only does this take more effort than simply focusing on one to-do, it also exhausts your brain.

Instead of multitasking, aim to work on one task at a time, so you can get into flow while working.  Flow state  happens when you’re so focused that you feel like you’re “in the zone.” When you get into flow, you’re able to get more work done more efficiently, since your brain is only focusing on one task at a time.

6. Take breaks

It might seem counterintuitive, but one of the best things you can do to improve your time management is to take a break. We tend to react to feeling behind on work by just doing more of it, but your brain needs time to rest and recharge. If you’re overworked and burnt out—you won’t be able to get anything done, much less tackle your most important work.

If taking a break feels hard to do, you’re not alone. According to our research,  32% of knowledge workers  who feel burnout report not being able to switch off or disconnect as something that fuels their burnout. Because they can’t switch off, they get burnt out, and when they’re burnt out, they can’t switch off—it’s a never-ending cycle.

If you struggle to remember to take breaks, consider scheduling them into your calendar. Then when the break pops up on your calendar, force yourself to take it—even if you just stand up to stretch. Even though it might feel stressful to take that break, you’ll feel better once you do.

To help ensure you don't burn out while working remotely, find new ways in this digital world to separate yourself from your screen and to take the time that you need. Also, I highly recommend the one-minute dance party–just get up and move around.”

Take control of your time

Ultimately, time management is more of a state of mind than anything else. To effectively manage your time, prioritize your work so you know to work on each day. Instead of letting your to-do list dictate your priorities, focus your attention on your intention to really drive impact.

To get started, make sure you’re tracking work in a centralized tool. Ready to get started? Learn how Asana can help you  organize your tasks and hit your deliverables .

Related resources

Timesheet templates: How to track team progress

AI at Work: Practical Ways to Start Using AI Today

Data-driven decision making: A step-by-step guide

How Asana streamlines strategic planning with work management

globeteacher.com

How Does Homework Help With Time Management

The motive behind the exercise of homework is to keep the student abreast with the daily goings-on of the class and through thorough practice improve the student’s foundation in a particular topic. Besides those, homework develops one’s researching capabilities since often it extends beyond what is just being taught at school; it is a furtherance of the student’s knowledge and for that the student often has to spend a quite an amount of time looking up the internet or the library for some kind of aid.

Time Management

In-time submission is a universal pre-requisite for any piece of work. Marks deduction, denying to consider the homework or other such penalties on failing to meet the deadline act as a form of driving force for students. Students, therefore, are forced into putting their priorities to check and order them accordingly. In future, when in employment, these students have to meet several such deadlines and then it will be this exercise of college homework that would come in handy.

In addition, college assignments help with time management by enabling us to order our priorities. In this way, we get clear up some time for ourselves and engage in things we love doing, have a hobby. We can binge-watch TV shows, have a movie-marathon, go on a long drive and what not. Yet all of it without compromising on the important stuff since we will learn, eventually where to draw the line.

Recruiting help

Not everybody can master the management task. After bouts of driving around with friends, social networking, binge watching TV shows there is not much energy nor enthusiasm that could drive some out of their bed or couches to invest the remainder of their time into a productive exercise of homework, not even if he is made to write down a million times, in order to ascertain, the numerous benefits of this exercise.

Besides the non-enthusiast, there are those who just could not make out time from numerous engagements. There are many who genuinely cannot do homework, some probable conceptual fault that has remained unclear. For such folks, expert advice and suggestions are advisable. But how does one know whom to trust? The internet is flooding with homework help websites that are made up of a bunch of fraudsters.

How are online homework services helpful?

Offline or online, homework services offer a great deal of relaxation to those with too much on their desk and those who always love to relax. Employing expert professionals, these services go to the core of the problem a student is facing with a particular topic that his/her homework deals with. They will not just write the answers to your questions but also improve your understanding of the topics so that you do not have to seek further assistance from such service providers. The services are reasonably priced and can be availed 24*7.

• Our Mission
• Meet Team Prepped
• In the Press
• Test Preparation
• Curriculum Assistance Tutoring
• Special Needs Tutoring
• Executive Function Coaching
• College Application Essay Help and Coaching
• Testimonials
• Upcoming Events
• Free Tutoring Video Classes
• Helpful Videos
• Helpful E-Books
• Infographics

Time Management for Homework

Boost your academic success with expert advice, get the best study tips, test prep strategies, and academic insights delivered straight to your inbox..

Prepped and Polished has been featured on:

Tutor Aniela of Prepped and Polished teaches you better time management skills for your homework.

TRANSCRIPTION:

Hi there, it’s Aniela with Prepped and Polished. Thank you for joining us today. Today we’re gonna talk about time management for homework, how to set yourself up for success when attacking just a single day of homework assignments. So the number one thing you want to do is set a schedule for yourself. Maybe you have practice after school and you know you’re going to come home and eat and then attack your homework, but you need to set the time aside to actually complete the homework. So you might say, I’m gonna do my homework from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM and that’s it, or maybe you don’t have practice right after school and you can come home and do your homework right away. I’m gonna sit down from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM and do my homework. If you set an actual schedule for yourself, you are more likely to sit down and actually complete the work.

Step two is gonna be prioritizing. Make a list of what you have to do and make sure that you know when each assignment is due. Homework that’s due the next day is going to take priority and then anything that’s a long-term assignment or due maybe in two days is going to get pushed down lower on the list. Make sure that you also put timed periods for your assignments. If you have three or four different pieces of homework that you need to do, make sure that you time yourself, maybe give yourself 20 minutes to do your math, 20 minutes to do your English, to make sure that you get to each assignment. If you don’t finish them, that’s okay, you can come back to them at the end and finish them. But what happens often is that you think something’s going to take you 20 minutes and then you end up spending the entire two hour period completing one assignment and you don’t get the rest of your homework done. And making sure that you’re keeping yourself to your time limits, you’ll get to every piece of homework and you’ll keep yourself from getting too bored with a specific assignment to sort of wake yourself up if you have to switch tasks and change the brain and how it’s working from math to English, history to science, etc.

Last thing you’re gonna wanna do is make sure that you prep your workspace for success when attacking your homework. You’re probably going to get thirsty or hungry. Make sure that you have snacks and drinks with you so that you don’t get up and go to the kitchen and get distracted. You’re also gonna want to think about how to use your phone appropriately. It’s likely that you probably wanna listen to music while you’re doing your homework. That is totally okay, but make sure that you turn off all notifications for Snapchat, for Instagram, for your text messages. Put those notifications on complete silence so that you don’t get distracted by the group chats that you’re in every, you know, 10 seconds coming in and you won’t be able to focus on your work.

Just to recap quickly, to successfully set yourself up to attack your homework on a day to day basis, make sure that you’ve set actual time apart to complete homework. You prioritize assignments based on when they’re due. You set your space up for success in terms of having snacks, drinks. And making sure that your technology is being used appropriately during your homework time. If you found this video helpful, please give us a thumbs up and visit preppedandpolished.com.

Post your comments below:

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

Time Management: 7 Techniques & 3 Tools to Help Clients

For that reason, time management books, techniques, and software are a dime a dozen.

When guiding your busy executive clients or anxiety-driven patients on a path to better time management, you might not just be spoiled for choice, but overwhelmed.

So, rather than jumping into the deep end, start with this post, where we’ll give you a user-friendly overview of time management literature. We’ll discuss seven core components of time management and how to apply these, along with useful tools and recommended readings for your client’s daily life.

Since time is of the essence, let’s begin!

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Productivity Exercises for free . These detailed, science-based exercises will help you or your clients become more productive and efficient.

This Article Contains

The importance of time management, strategy 1: identify and eliminate time wasters, strategy 2: steer away from perfectionism, strategy 3: eliminate procrastination, strategy 4: say no to extra work, strategy 5: determine priorities, strategy 6: focus on deep work, strategy 7: follow the 80/20 way, recommended time management books, time management tools from positivepsychology.com, a take-home message, frequently asked questions.

Time management is a constellation of behaviors that help us use our time effectively to satisfy the demands of our personal and professional lives. Although the definition of time management varies from one domain to the next, Aeon and Aguinis (2017, p. 311) provide the following clear, person-centered explanation:

“a form of decision-making used by individuals to structure, protect, and adapt their time to changing conditions.”

These three components cannot be reduced to a single panacea, capable of addressing any and all time management issues. Instead, different strategies — like the ones outlined in this post — address various components of time management.

Why is time management important?

Our time and energy are finite. We need to divide them adequately across several responsibilities and use them to look after ourselves, our families and our friends and attend to work-related tasks.

With better-managed time, we can satisfy all our responsibilities, work demands, and goals. Most importantly, we reduce the risk of feeling overwhelmed by stress, feeling like a failure, and other poor psychological wellbeing issues (Aeon & Aguinis, 2017).

A synthesis of the existing literature (Aeon & Aguinis, 2017) found that time management is:

• Positively correlated with several measurements of wellbeing (including psychological health, job satisfaction , confidence, self-esteem)
• Negatively correlated with stress
• Positively correlated with several work and academic performance measures, including academic success and self-reported job performance

If you’re still unconvinced about the importance of better time management, watch Brad Aeon’s TEDx video here.

Selecting time management strategies

In the earlier definition of time management, we mentioned three core components: structure, protection, and adaptation.

• Structure refers to how our time is perceived, measured, and allocated.
• Protection is how we protect our time from being wasted, misdirected, or deviated from our plans.
• Adaptation refers to how well we can cope with unexpected tasks or surprises.

In this post, we will discuss seven key time management strategies that can be grouped according to these three components. This taxonomy is helpful when deciding on a strategy. All strategies help protect our time and goals, but some also satisfy the other components.

Time-wasting activities deplete time, energy, and effort without contributing to the overall output/end goal (Gordon & Borkan, 2014).

To identify which time wasters the client depends on, use a daily journal , logging their activities and time spent on each (Gordon & Borkan, 2014). Once clients know which time-wasting activities are present, they can tackle them.

Time wasters can take many forms, but various practical solutions exist to counter them (see the table below, adapted from Gordon & Borkan, 2014).

Download 3 Free Productivity Exercises (PDF)

These detailed, science-based exercises will equip you or your clients with tools to do their deepest, most productive work.

Download 3 Free Productivity Tools Pack (PDF)

By filling out your name and email address below.

• Email Address *
• Your Expertise * Your expertise Therapy Coaching Education Counseling Business Healthcare Other
• Name This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Being overly concerned with a perfect product/outcome can quickly derail the best-laid plans. Perfectionism is a maladaptive behavior characterized by extreme self-criticism, fear of making mistakes, self-doubt, and impossible standards (Rice et al., 2012).

Perfectionists experience little pleasure in their professional and personal lives because they are overly concerned with their performance and are at higher risk of procrastination, psychological distress, and several psychological syndromes (Rice et al., 2012; Shafran et al., 2016).

They often repeat actions, circumnavigating around an unattainable goal, ultimately wasting time that could have been redirected toward other tasks (Shafran et al., 2016).

Alongside the other strategies in our post, the following are recommended to help overcome perfectionism .

• Perfectionists rely on binary thinking models (right–wrong) and have a low tolerance for mistakes (Shafran et al., 2016). Help your client recognize that a project will never be perfect, adopt a kinder inner voice, and schedule time for feedback.
• Break tasks into smaller, attainable goals with clear expectations when setting goals. For example, the first goal is to produce a draft version containing mistakes but with the correct structure. For the second goal, the client can focus on refining the piece and attending to typos.
• “Perfect” work is unattainable, and “perfect” is typically poorly defined. Instead, identify the core aspects of the project that will have the most impact and achieve the same outcome as a perfect one. Focus on these aspects rather than the less important ones.

Still, the task’s action has a negative experience (van Eerde, 2003).

Procrastination has many forms and is accompanied by negative feelings such as guilt and a fear of failing . The entire experience is stressful, which clients want to avoid or change (van Eerde & Klingsieck, 2018).

Eliminating procrastination starts with awareness and then an intervention (van Eerde, 2003).

According to a meta-analysis of four different interventions, the most effective intervention against procrastination was Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, regardless of whether time management strategies, such as breaking down a task into smaller chunks, prioritizing tasks, goal setting, or managing time effectively, were included (van Eerde & Klingsieck, 2018).

Another effective strategy is strength and assertiveness training (van Eerde & Klingsieck, 2018; Visser, et al., 2017). In this training, learners were taught how to identify and apply their strengths to situations where they would procrastinate. These were very effective when used within a cognitive-behavioral framework.

Being presented with extra work while trying to satisfy an existing work demand is not unusual. The implication of taking on extra work, however, is that:

• We have less time to meet our existing workload, increasing the risk of failure.
• The likelihood of feeling stressed and anxious about meeting our goals increases.

Doing such extra work is often not in an individual’s best interest. Practice declining the opportunity in a neutral way where the implications of the extra work on available time are made explicit (Beagrie & McGee, 2007). Here are some examples of how to do that:

Here is a quick guide on Assertiveness in the Workplace .

Knowing which tasks are the most important and giving these higher priority and more focus is vital. An example of poor prioritization is when a project due in one week is overlooked for a project due in three.

Eisenhower Matrix

One helpful way to determine priority is to use the Eisenhower Matrix (Covey, 1991). Tasks are split across two dimensions: importance and urgency.

To classify tasks, start with the due date and work backward from high urgency to low urgency. Urgency refers to the immediacy of the task deadline. Under a heading of urgency, tasks that are due soon are urgent, and tasks with later deadlines are not urgent.

Then, add an additional classification to each task: importance. Evaluate the importance of each task by looking at its impact and contribution to long-term goals. Tasks that contribute to essential goals have high importance, whereas those that don’t contribute are not important.

Consequently, all tasks will be allocated as urgent or not and also classified as either important or not important.

Your matrix should look like the image, and the tasks should be prioritized from left to right, starting with the top row.

• Do – Priority 1 In the top-left quadrant are tasks high on both dimensions. These are the most pressing tasks that require your immediate attention. They should be completed first.
• Schedule – Priority 2 Tasks that are important but not urgent (top-right quadrant) do not have concrete deadlines yet. These tasks should be broken down into smaller tasks or scheduled for later.
• Delegate – Priority 3 Tasks that are urgent but not important (bottom-left quadrant) do not require your personal attention. Instead, these tasks can be delegated to someone else.
• Delete – Priority 4 Tasks in the opposite bottom-right quadrant are the least important and not urgent. They can be discarded or kept for when there is a lull in workload.

However, all tasks cannot be both high importance and high urgency. If they are, prioritization needs to be deployed, or the person will become overwhelmed and over-committed.

World’s Largest Positive Psychology Resource

The Positive Psychology Toolkit© is a groundbreaking practitioner resource containing over 500 science-based exercises , activities, interventions, questionnaires, and assessments created by experts using the latest positive psychology research.

Updated monthly. 100% Science-based.

“The best positive psychology resource out there!” — Emiliya Zhivotovskaya , Flourishing Center CEO

Deep work refers to the ability to work in a quiet, distraction-free environment with intense focus and concentration (Bhargava, 2016; Newport, 2016).

Our cognitive abilities are exercised like a muscle in this environment. Our abilities to concentrate and produce are stretched to capacity and improve over time. The mental experience is similar to a flow state , characterized by intense concentration and focus where the perception of time disappears (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990).

Deep work is best for challenging work that requires absolute focus, but it is difficult to achieve because of distractions in our daily lives. Therefore, deep work should be considered a skill that can be honed and improved through regular practice, similar to any other skill.

Start with the following when trying to improve deep work skills (Bhargava, 2016; Newport, 2016):

• Allocate a significant portion of time to uninterrupted focus (i.e., no time wasters and no interruptions).
• Allocate this time for the morning when you’re feeling refreshed and motivated. Do not check emails or other communications beforehand to avoid being distracted.
• Like exercise, plan for sufficient rest and sleep. It is only possible to work constantly at the same pace with rest. So assign the more manageable, less cognitively demanding tasks to other work periods and take time to recover.

To illustrate further:

• 20% of the time will yield 80% of the work. Imagine your client has a presentation due. Putting together a rough but comprehensive draft (80%) will take little time (20%).
• However, the remaining 20% of the work will take approximately 80% of the time. Even though the bulk of the work is done, the remaining work needed to refine the presentation (20%) takes considerable time (80%). If your client had planned their project so that they only had 20% of the time left for this work, they would not meet their deadline.
• 20% of the work is essential, whereas 80% is not. Knowing how to prioritize the critical 20% over the less consequential 80% is vital to managing our time and workload.

With this in mind, when planning a schedule, do the following (Vaccaro, 2000):

• Split the available time unequally to account for the 80/20 split. Leave ample time for refinement, corrections, and feedback.
• Go through tasks and classify them as belonging to the 20% or 80% category. The 20% tasks are essential, yield significant results, and directly impact other goals. The 80% tasks are urgent but optional, take longer than expected, and are draining.
• Classify subtasks as 20% or 80% when working on a bigger project. Always prioritize the essential tasks (20%) over the nonessential tasks (80%).

Readers are spoiled for choice when looking for books about time management. Here we list four books that are directly related to some strategies in this post. Let us know in the comments if you have any other recommendations.

1. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World – Cal Newport

This book tackles the topic of deep work: what it is, how to achieve it, and why it is crucial.

The author, Cal Newport, is a professor of computer science and understands the importance of dedicated, focused time in achieving goals.

Unlike many other self-help books, the advice in this book is accessible, practical, and reads as though the author has tried and tested it.

Find the book on Amazon .

2. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones – James Clear

If we accept that we can improve our work strategies and break our bad habits, then we recommend Atomic Habits .

This book describes how small, consistent environmental changes can help form habits.

If you liked this book, then we also recommend Tiny Habits by B. J. Fogg . It is similar to Atomic Habits  but slightly more practical.

3. The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More With Less – Richard Koch

There is a reason this book is so highly regarded. Koch explores the history of the 80/20 principle and provides numerous historical examples of this principle.

The precise numerical ratio is not essential, but the concept of the imbalance between input and output is vital. To help readers understand how to implement this principle in their daily lives, Koch outlines several key steps to identify the 80/20 split and prioritize the most critical tasks that yield the most important outcomes.

This is a practical book, and once the principle is understood, readers can easily skip to the most critical chapters. It is an excellent book for people who are pressed for time and just need a quick reminder of the principle.

PositivePsychology.com has an extensive collection of worksheets and tools for our readers that can help with time management or help eliminate time wasters.

Goal setting activities

Productivity and goal setting are popular topics on our blog. If you do not know where to start, we recommend this post: Goal Setting Activities, Exercises & Games . It references various tools that help clients identify and set their goals, including apps, worksheets, and one-on-one and group exercises, just to name a few.

17 Productivity and Work Efficiency Exercises

Our premiere tool that can help you and your clients with their time management is this excellent collection of 17 Productivity and Work Efficiency Exercises .

The exercises cover all seven strategies discussed in this post and much more. The kit includes a short introduction booklet about productivity, supported by 17 exercises, each relying on science-proven strategy.

One exercise focuses on developing deep work, and another uses the 80/20 principle. All of this is available as an all-in-one kit perfect for practitioners who want to expand their toolkit for dealing with clients’ work-related concerns, time management problems, or productivity.

Motivation and Goal Setting Masterclass

A lack of motivation and unclear goals can also affect time management. To aid your client struggling with motivation and goal setting, consider signing up for our Motivation and Goal Setting Masterclass© .

This excellent masterclass covers the topic of motivation and goal setting in much more detail and is a training tool for practitioners.

It accompanies the 17 Productivity and Work Efficiency Exercises by exploring another facet of workplace concerns and challenges. The American Psychological Association recognizes this masterclass, and practitioners will receive nine continuing education points upon completion.

The finite nature of time and its effective management have been recognized for several decades, dating back to the 1950s (Claessens et al., 2007). We understand that effective time management is essential for successful goal setting, meeting deadlines, and managing stress .

“But how?” you asked, and we listened.

In this post, we explored seven different strategies, each focusing on at least one component of time management discussing how to structure tasks better, prioritize deadlines, protect time and concentration from distractions, and work smarter not harder.

Remember that some strategies might not work for your client, and they might need to try a few to find the one that fits. But most crucial is recognizing that time management is a skill. We can learn how to do it, and all of us can improve it.

The list of strategies and books presented in this post is incomplete; many other strategies exist. If you have used a particular technique successfully or have a novel approach you have developed, share it with us in the comments. Book recommendations are also welcome!

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Productivity Exercises for free .

Procrastination reduces our ability to manage time effectively and complete tasks on time because we take a long time to start doing the actual work. When we do finally begin, there is less time left to complete the job, increasing the likelihood of feeling stressed out, anxious, and failing.

Time management is a skill. It is a collection of behaviors that can be learned and improved.

Time management is “a form of decision-making used by individuals to structure, protect, and adapt their time to changing conditions” (Aeon & Aguinis, 2017, p. 311).

• Aeon, B., & Aguinis, H. (2017). It’s about time: New perspectives and insights on time management. Academy of Management Perspectives , 31 (4), 309–330.
• Beagrie, S., & McGee, L. (2007). How to… say no. Occupational Health & Wellbeing , 59 (8), 24.
• Bhargava, P. (2016). Deep work: A productivity superpower. Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology , 46 (1), 1–2.
• Claessens, B. J., Van Eerde, W., Rutte, C. G., & Roe, R. A. (2007). A review of the time management literature. Personnel Review , 36 (2), 255–276.
• Covey, S. R. (1991). The seven habits of highly effective people . Covey Leadership Center.
• Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: the psychology of optimal experience . Harper and Row.
• Gordon, C. E., & Borkan, S. C. (2014). Recapturing time: A practical approach to time management for physicians. Postgraduate Medical Journal , 90 (1063), 267–272.
• Koch, R. (2011). The 80/20 principle: The secret of achieving more with less (updated 20th anniversary ed.). Hachette.
• Newport, C. (2016). Deep work: Rules for focused success in a distracted world . Hachette.
• Rice, K. G., Richardson, C. M., & Clark, D. (2012). Perfectionism, procrastination, and psychological distress. Journal of Counseling Psychology , 59 (2), 288.
• Shafran, R., Coughtrey, A., & Kothari, R. (2016). New frontiers in the treatment of perfectionism. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy , 9 (2), 156–170.
• Vaccaro, P. J. (2000). The 80/20 rule of time management. Family Practice Management , 7 (8), 76.
• Van Eerde, W. (2003). Procrastination at work and time management training. The Journal of Psychology , 137 (5), 421–434.
• Van Eerde, W., & Klingsieck, K. B. (2018). Overcoming procrastination? A meta-analysis of intervention studies. Educational Research Review , 25 , 73–85.
• Visser, L., Schoonenboom, J., & Korthagen, F. A. (2017). A field experimental design of a strengths-based training to overcome academic procrastination: Short-and long-term effect. Frontiers in Psychology , 8 .

Share this article:

Article feedback

What our readers think.

I recommend TMetric, it is a powerful time tracking tool that helps clients efficiently manage their projects and maximize productivity.

Great article with useful tips for time management!

Let us know your thoughts Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Related articles

How to Focus Easily in a World of Distractions: 6 Techniques

Attention is a limited resource. As humans, we must be selective about what to focus on. As a basic component of biology, determining what aspects [...]

How to Stop Procrastinating With 25 Tools

In today’s distraction-filled world, procrastination is a common challenge that can hinder productivity and success, and it can negatively impact our wellbeing. It is a [...]

Deep Work: The Book, the Meaning & the Author

Have you ever experienced a working state characterized by heightened concentration, a flow-like state, and increased productivity? If so, then you engaged in ‘deep work’. [...]

Read other articles by their category

• Body & Brain (52)
• Coaching & Application (39)
• Compassion (23)
• Counseling (40)
• Emotional Intelligence (21)
• Gratitude (18)
• Grief & Bereavement (18)
• Happiness & SWB (40)
• Meaning & Values (26)
• Meditation (16)
• Mindfulness (40)
• Motivation & Goals (41)
• Optimism & Mindset (29)
• Positive CBT (28)
• Positive Communication (23)
• Positive Education (36)
• Positive Emotions (32)
• Positive Leadership (16)
• Positive Parenting (14)
• Positive Psychology (21)
• Positive Workplace (35)
• Productivity (16)
• Relationships (46)
• Resilience & Coping (38)
• Self Awareness (20)
• Self Esteem (37)
• Strengths & Virtues (29)
• Stress & Burnout Prevention (33)
• Theory & Books (42)
• Therapy Exercises (37)
• Types of Therapy (54)
• Phone This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

3 Free Productivity Tools Pack (PDF)

• View on Facebook Page (Opens in a new tab)
• View our Twitter Page (Opens in a new tab)
• View our Instagram Page (Opens in a new tab)
• View our Youtube Page (Opens in a new tab)

The Best Study and Time Management Apps for College Students

Being a college student is one of those “it takes a village”situations: Family members, friends, professors, and administrators can all help you along the way. But with the right suite of tools, your phone can also be one of your greatest allies when it comes to studying and scheduling. Here are some of the best studying and time management apps every college student should consider.

The best apps for studying and schoolwork

There are many beloved all-purpose study apps out there(like the beloved Evernote) but sometimes you can also benefit from ones designed for specific tasks:

Quizlet is well known among students, if only for how often you’ll find someone else has already uploaded your homework to it. Yes, this lets you cheat a little, but the app offers more than that: You can make your own flashcards or use someone else’s flashcard deck. If you join the paid version ($7.99 per month), you get access to multiple choice questions and practice tests too. Whatever you’re studying, somebody has already uploaded it to the app. Grab it on the Apple app store or Google Play .

Otter transcribes audio in real time, enabling you to record lectures and create notes simultaneously. It has a bunch of cool other features: For instance, once you give a speaker a name, it recognizes them and includes their name every time you record them. You can also edit anything that the transcription service doesn’t quite nail and can link it to Zoom or Google Meet to transcribe what’s happening in online classes. You get 300 monthly transcription minutes (30 minutes per session) for free before you’ll need to upgrade to Pro for $8.33 per month. Find it on the Apple app store and Google Play .

Citationsy is a tool that will create a citation for any book after you scan the barcode with your camera. It can produce citations in Chicago, MLA, or whatever other format you’re being asked to use, and it offers a fast, simple alternative to other citation makers—especially when you’re referencing physical books, which are laborious to manually input into other generators. While it has other app-based competitors that also scan barcodes, not all of them are available for Apple and Android devices. Find it on the App Store and Google Play .

Microsoft Lens (formerly called Office Lens) turns pictures of whiteboards, physical documents, books, notes, and more into editable text. It can also turn your images into PDFs, Word files, or PowerPoint slides. Find it on the App Store and Google Play .

SimpleMind helps you create mind maps that can aid in your brainstorming, outlining, and studying. (More on the value of mind mapping for students can be found here .) You can make basic maps for free, but for automatic layouts, the ability to download your map, and the option to add images, icons, labels, checkboxes, and links, you’ll have to pay a one-time $10.99 fee for the Pro versionon Apple devices , and $8.49 on Google Play .

The best apps for managing your class schedule

When you’re juggling classes, studying, work, and your social life, a good time management strategy is key. Let these apps do the work:

myHomework is a digital student planner that works across all your devices to keep your classes and homework schedule organized. Knowing when everything is due is half the battle, and this app makes it easy to track and mark off assignments as they come (and go). Find it on the Apple app store and Google Play .

Exam Countdown does exactly what it sounds like: It’s a countdown timer designed to let you know when all of your tests are scheduled to take place. You can create widgets to keep the countdowns visible or set it to send you reminders. It’s on the App Store and Google Play .

iStudiez Pro helps you organize assignments, plan for tests, and even track your grades, plus it integrates easily with your existing Google Calendar or iPhone calendar. The grade tracker and GPA calculator are especially key for helping you stay on top of not just your individual work, but your progress overall. The basic version is free, but you’ll need to pay $1.99 per month or $9.99 per year if you want to add tasks specific to each assignment or class. Download it from its website for Android and iOS devices .

• Neighborhood News
• Entertainment
• West Virginia News
• National News
• International News
• News of Record
• Local Sports
• Sports Columns
• Ohio Sports
• West Virginia Sports
• National Sports
• Local Columns
• Letters to the Editor
• Engagements
• Anniversaries
• Coronavirus
• Classifieds
• Garage Sales
• Submit News
• Statement of Values
• Terms of Service
• Browse notices
• Place a notice

• Today's Paper

Subscribe Today

Time management for school homework assignments.

I feel a strong need to discuss the significance of homework. There is nothing that irritates a teacher more than students who procrastinate completing their homework assignments.

Throughout the remainder of this writing, I will offer ideas for doing homework. I am writing it specifically for students; therefore, it is imperative that parents share this important information with their school-aged children. Now let’s begin with the following athletic analogy.

Coaches, first and foremost, want all their players to gain positive experiences from athletics. To accomplish this goal, the participants need to be as committed as their coaches. A major part of that dedication includes hours upon hours of drills.

Although the majority of athletes hate drill work, they know that to be successful in their sport, it is a very necessary evil. As with athletics, the same is true with the academic realm as well. But in the case of studies, it is known as that dreaded activity referred to as “homework.”

The key to proper homework preparation is “time management.” Many students do not know how to wisely organize their daily studying routine. Hence, homework is either turned in late or never completed. Furthermore, such problems can lead to student anxiety and feelings of always being in a rush.

What I want to share with you from this point on are some helpful hints for homework. Likewise, I also devised a generic time schedule for “after school” study habits.

Helpful Homework Hints

1. Try to eliminate dead hours. Accomplish something every free moment of the day. Research has demonstrated that an hour of daytime study is worth an hour-and-a-half of studying at night.

2. Always allow enough time to eat good, nutritious meals. As they say, “You are what you eat.”

3. Do not follow a schedule that could cause lack of proper sleep. All evidence supports the importance of acquiring the basic eight hours of sleep a day.

4. Determine how much time you really need to study each subject area, and develop your homework schedule accordingly.

5. When you are faced with lengthy homework projects, double the time you think it will take and start early. Keep in mind, big assignments always take longer than you originally expected.

6. During the day, look for small blocks of time in which you can get minor tasks accomplished. For example, if you take a school bus to and from school, you could be reading a chapter in one of your textbooks at these times.

7. Always schedule your most difficult homework during a time of the day when you feel totally alert. This time will vary from student to student.

8. When studying at home, select a homework site with no distractions. You can’t learn when the television is on or family members are having discussions near your study area.

Generic Time Schedule for After School Hours

* 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. – Recreational or Sports Practice Time.

* 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. – Chore Time, etc.

* 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. – Evening Meal.

* 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. – Homework Time. (Note: Allow 10 minutes of each hour for a study break.)

* 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. – Recreational Time for Watching Television, Calling or Texting Friends, etc.

* 10:00 p.m. – Bedtime

To be quite honest, at first you can anticipate having some difficulty putting together a daily time schedule for homework and other activities. Here is where parents can assist their child, having more lifetime experiences in organizing their personal and professional affairs.

Moreover, please realize that your child’s schedule may need to be revised or adjusted from time to time.

I have one final tip for students who take their schooling seriously. Even if you are not sure how to complete a homework assignment for a certain class, always hand something in when it’s due – be it right or wrong. Believe me, this is very sound advice from my own educational experiences.

With the above approach to studying, all your teachers will realize that you have made sincere efforts to perform homework assignments. Likewise, should a completed homework paper be incorrect, your teacher will know where you are having learning problems. Thus, your teacher will be able to guide you toward better understanding of the material being taught.

On the other hand, when students fail to hand in homework assignments, their teachers will think they don’t care, and nothing can be learned by anyone. Hence, the bottom line is: “Do Your Homework!”

Bill Welker, EdD, is an educator who has 40 years of experience as a K12 classroom teacher in both public and private schools. He was the recipient of the prestigious “Jasper N. Deahl Award” from West Virginia University for his accomplishments as a certified reading specialist.

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

• Daily Newsletter
• Breaking News

Should schools ban cell phones?

A few weeks ago the board for the second largest school district in the country, Los Angeles Unified School ...

I feel a strong need to discuss the significance of homework. There is nothing that irritates a teacher more than ...

Sedum: Beautiful, low-maintenance plant for the home landscape

Hello, Mid-Ohio Valley farmers and gardeners! The dry weather continues here in the Valley. I hope we receive the ...

Area rivers teem with life

The area’s rivers have always been important for those living in the area. Native Americans frequently fished ...

Be careful who you trust

When the government was ready to send out COVID checks, scammers sent out emails asking for account numbers and ...

1749: The French Expedition and First Catholic Mass

Starting at $2.99/week..

• Find Your Calm: Managing Stress & Anxiety

Stress Symptoms

What Is Stress?

Stress is your body's response to a challenging or demanding situation. When you feel stressed, your body releases certain hormones. Your hormones are chemical signals your body uses to tell your body systems what to do. The hormones your body releases when you're stressed get you ready to meet the challenge or demand in your environment. During the stress response, your body gets ready to flee or fight by increasing your heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure.

Not all stress is bad. In small doses, stress can help you accomplish tasks or prevent you from getting hurt. For example, stress is what makes you slam on the brakes to avoid hitting a suddenly stopped car in front of you. That's a good thing.

But people handle stressful situations differently. What stresses you out may be of little concern to someone else. 

Stress can be a short-term response to something that happens once or only a few times or a long-term response to something that keeps happening. Our bodies can usually handle short-term stress without long-term effects. But long-term or chronic stress can make you sick, both mentally and physically.

The first step to managing your stress is to know the symptoms. But recognizing stress symptoms may be harder than you think. Many of us are so used to feeling stressed that we may not know it until we get sick. Read on to learn more about the various symptoms you may have when you're stressed.

Difference between stress and distress

Stress is a normal reaction to challenges in your physical environment or in your perceptions of what's happening around you. Experts consider distress to be stress that is severe, prolonged, or both. Distress is when you feel you’re under more stress than you can handle.

Emotional Stress Symptoms

Mental symptoms of emotional stress include:

• Feeling more emotional than usual, especially feeling grumpy, teary, or angry
• Feeling anxious, overwhelmed, nervous, or on edge
• Feeling sad or depressed
• Feeling restless
• Trouble keeping track of or remembering things
• Trouble getting your work done, solving problems, making decisions, or concentrating 

Physical Stress Symptoms

Symptoms of stress that you might feel in your body include:

• Clenching your jaw and grinding your teeth
• Shoulder, neck, or back pain; general body aches, pains, and tense muscles
• Chest pain, increased heart rate, heaviness in your chest
• Shortness of breath
• Feeling more tired than usual (fatigue)
• Sleeping more or less than usual
• Upset stomach , including diarrhea , constipation , and nausea
• Loss of sexual desire and/or ability
• Getting sick more easily, such as getting colds and infections often

Respiratory distress

This is when you aren't getting enough oxygen or are having to work really hard to breathe. If you or a loved one has symptoms of respiratory distress, you need to call 911 and get to the ER as soon as possible. Signs include:

• Breathing faster than usual
• Color changes of your skin, mouth, lips, or fingernails. A blue color around your mouth, lips, or fingernails usually shows you aren't getting enough oxygen. Your skin may also look pale or gray.
• Grunting when you breath out
• A whistling with each breath (wheezing)
• Nose flaring
• Chest sinking below your neck or under your breastbone with each breath (retractions)
• Increased sweating, especially cold, clammy skin on your forehead
• Leaning forward while sitting to help take deeper breaths

Cognitive Stress Symptoms

Symptoms of stress that affect your mental performance include:

• Trouble getting your work done, solving problems, making decisions, or concentrating
• Feeling less commitment to your work
• Lack of motivation
• Negative thinking

Behavioral Stress Symptoms

Symptoms of behavioral stress include:

• Changes in your eating habits; losing or gaining weight
• Procrastinating and avoiding responsibilities
• Using alcohol, tobacco, or drugs to feel better
• Avoiding your friends and family; isolating yourself from others
• Failing to meet your deadlines
• Increased absences at school or work
• Doing your work more slowly
• Exercising less often

Symptoms of Chronic Stress

Chronic stress is when you experience stress over an extended time. This can have negative effects on your body and your mental state, and it can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, anxiety, and depression.

In general, the symptoms of chronic stress are the same as those for shorter-term stress. You may not have all these symptoms, but if you have more than three symptoms and they last for a few weeks, you may have chronic stress. Potential symptoms to look for include:

• Aches and pains
• Changes in your sleeping patterns, such as insomnia or sleepiness
• Changes in your social behavior, such as avoiding other people
• Changes in your emotional response to others
• Emotional withdrawal
• Low energy, fatigue
• Unfocused or cloudy thinking
• Changes in your appetite
• Increased alcohol or drug use
• Getting sick more often than usual

Is It Stress or Something Else?

You may be dealing with something more serious than day-to-day stress if you have symptoms over a period of time even though you've tried to cope using healthy mechanisms. Long-term stress is linked to number of mental health disorders, such as:

• Chronic stress
• Substance use disorder
• Disordered eating

It may be time to visit your doctor if you're struggling to cope with the stress in your life or you have mental health problems from long-term stress. They can help you figure out ways of coping in a healthy way or refer you to a mental health professional who can help you.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is mental health condition that you may have after you have or witness a traumatic event, such as a natural disaster, accident, or violence. PTSD overwhelms your ability to cope with new stress. PTSD can lead to symptoms such as intrusive memories, avoidance behaviors, and hyperarousal. 

These symptoms can cause significant problems in your work or relationships. T alk to your doctor or a mental health professional if you've had or witnessed a traumatic event and have disturbing thoughts and feelings about it for more than a month, if your thoughts and feelings are severe, or if you feel like you're having trouble getting your life back on track.

What Are the Consequences of Long-Term Stress?

Ongoing, chronic stress can trigger or worsen many serious health problems, including:

• Mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, and personality disorders
• Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease , high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, heart attacks, and strokes
• Obesity and other eating disorders
• Menstrual problems
• Sexual dysfunction, such as impotence and premature ejaculation in men and loss of sexual desire in men and women
• Skin and hair problems , such as acne, psoriasis, and eczema, and permanent hair loss
• Gastrointestinal problems, such as GERD, gastritis , ulcerative colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome

Help Is Available for Stress

Stress is a part of life. What matters most is how you handle it. The best thing you can do to prevent stress overload and the health consequences that come with it is to know your stress symptoms.

If you or a loved one is feeling overwhelmed by stress, talk to your doctor. Many symptoms of stress can also be signs of other health problems. Your doctor can evaluate your symptoms and rule out other conditions. If stress is to blame, your doctor can recommend a therapist or counselor to help you better handle your stress.

Stress Takeaways

Stress is your body's response to a challenging or demanding situation. It can affect you physically, mentally, and behaviorally, especially when you have chronic stress. Chronic stress is when you are stressed for an extended time. Chronic stress can make it more likely for you to develop other mental health disorders, such as anxiety or depression. It can also affect your heart health and digestive health. If you're stressed and having trouble coping, it may be time for you to see your doctor or a mental health professional.

Stress FAQs

What can extreme stress cause?

Extreme stress, especially if it's prolonged, can cause emotional distress. And stress from a traumatic event, which is usually extreme, can cause posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These are more serious cases of stress that overwhelm your ability to manage on your own. You may need to get a professional's help to get back on track. If you feel like you're having trouble managing your emotions, talk to your doctor. They can help you or direct you to someone who can help you.

Can stress make you throw up?

Yes, stress can make you throw up. Your digestive system is one of the many systems that stress can affect. In fact, you may have a whole range of other digestive symptoms, such as nausea, pain, and constipation or diarrhea. Not everyone has stress nausea or vomiting, but you may be more prone to it if you have a gastrointestinal condition, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or you have anxiety or depression.

You may be able to tell if you're stress vomiting if your episode passes when the stress goes away. If it doesn't, then your episode may be caused by something else. It's time to get checked out by your doctor if you have more than a couple of episodes or you can't figure out what's causing them.

Show Sources

Chu, B. Physiology, Stress Reaction , StatPearls Publishing, 2024.

American Psychological Association: "Stress effects on the body."

MedlinePlus: "Stress."

Mayo Clinic: "Stress management," "Emotional exhaustion: When your feelings feel overwhelming," "Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)."

Cleveland Clinic: "Emotional Stress: Warning Signs, Management, When to Get Help," "Stress Nausea: Why It Happens and How To Deal. "

Johns Hopkins Medicine: "Signs of Respiratory Distress."

Helpguide.org: "Stress Symptoms, Signs, and Causes," "Understanding Stress."

Yale Medicine: "Chronic Stress."

Department of Health and Human Services: "Stress and Your Health."

American Institute of Stress: "Effects of Stress."

How to Feel Better in Less Than 15 Minutes

Need a quick pick-me-up? These simple steps can get you moving and boost your mood - fast!

Heart-Pounding, Stomach-Knotting: Stress and You

From knots in your stomach to headaches, heartburn and chronic health conditions, stress can lead to a variety of health issues.

Ways to Practice Self-Care

Self-care doesn't have to cost a lot. These simple steps can boost your mood and get you moving.

Natural Remedies to Alleviate Anxiety

These natural remedies can help ease your anxiety. Learn how they work - and when to see a doctor.

Is My Stress Level Too High?

From pain to digestive problems and more, the signs and symptoms of too much stress are easy to spot - once you know what to look for.