You hardly ever learn about Time managment techiniques for students in your school.

Yet is one of the most useful skills that students can develop during their study years, and which will continue to be an excellent and worthwhile life skill for the future. It is automatically expected that students will be alble and capable to balance every aspect of their demands on time. This includes readind, writing, studying, researching, engaging in sporting activities and socializing, and yet when faced with these myriad of activities to do, students happily procrastinate until something bites them. This is because of their inability to effectively manage their time. Their efficiency is poor, and as a result, their self-belief is eroded, meaning that many students feel unhappy, lacking in confidence about their abilities. The sad thing is, they then go on to produce sub standard work far below what they could achieve.

Essentially, time management for students is about striking a balance between all the various demands on their time, without sacrificing those aspects of their lives which do not have to do with studying. It is also about providing them with the ability to see exactly how they can achieve a high level of achievement. At the same time though, ensuring that it is realistic.

Indeed, only realistic strategies of time management for students are likely to ever be successful. Do you know what is commonly cited as the reason for students giving up on a drawn up plan? Once the plan is drawn up, students then believe that that is the ened of the process, and that all issues will magially dissapear. For students especially, realising that getting things done and effectively using time management techniques is not simply about drawing up a grand plan. It is a process which must be on-going, frequently monitored and adhered to honestly if it is to achieve the positive outcomes necessary.

Another issue where time management for students can become an issue is where the plans, graphic organizers and other systems become a task in themselves. They can easily start to form a distraction. This only adds to the already problematic procrastination for which students are so renowned.

Teachers can assist with helping students to understand the management of their time by developing and maintaining a class calendar. This draws attention to the amount of time available, and showing how bigger tasks can be broken into smaller, more easily manageable ones. Many students also find that it is more beneficial to have three tiers of organization – short, medium and long term. Goal setting is important for long term understanding of “what it’s all for”. This aids focus and general direction, whereas the short term planning needs to be much more immediate and detailed.

Any system of time management for students must be easy to develop and maintain, easy to understand and realistically achievable. The main key must be in eliminating the tendency to procrastinate, which is the student’s worst enemy. Ultimately, schools would benefit from introducing time management as a taught discipline. This would empower students to take more control over their studies and lives, and improve the overall performance of the establishment.