For students to have a more successful time management, they do not have to work hard for it. They need to work smart.

Some students may have realized that no matter how much effort they put in managing their time and studies, they always end up defeated in attaining the goals they set. Instead of getting more results, they end up with nothing. This is the result of working hard in managing their time.

Be smart in your time management. You do not have to increase your efforts. You only have to work twice as hard the first time so you do not need a second or third attempt.

You just have to be ahead of your plans and double the effort needed. This is how smart time management. If students learn how to make this work, they will be able to keep up and survive the demanding academic life that they are facing.

Oftentimes, students encounter some mistakes in their time management skills that can hinder and even stop them from making their way smoothly towards the attainment of their goals.

What are the common mistakes students make in time management?

1. Starting the day without an action plan.

The most important thing in time management is doing things right and not doing it fast. The latter just results to not achieving anything. It is best to have a specific goal for the day. What do you want to accomplish? How will you go about accomplishing those things?

Begin doing when the day begins so you can attain your tasks by the end of the day.

2. No stability in life.

It is said that life is comprised of seven important areas. These are family, health, intellectual, financial, professional, social and spiritual. As a student, you cannot spend equal amounts of time to all these things. There may be some areas where you need to focus more on a certain day. And another areas for a different day.

All these areas are related to each other. One cannot work properly without being dependent on some. That is why you need to balance your time in these different areas to be more stable and at peace.

If you have the proper time management, you are able to set enough time for all these areas. The process may not instantaneous but once you gotten into the rhythm of things, it will not be that difficult. Learn to juggle.

3. Untidy and chaotic study area.

Ever noticed that when there are a lot of things around you, you get distracted easily? You can quickly lose your concentration when your eyes and mind start drifting on whatever things lying around.

Compare this to a clean and arranged area. You will not feel buried among the mess and you can focus on the task at hand.

This is the same reason that office workers are effective. You do not see any mess lying around their work station much. They maintain a clean and cluster free environment so it will be easy to move around without any distractions. This same principle should be applied to your study area.

3. Not enough sleep.

According to studies, almost 75% of most students are constantly complaining of being tired easily. Some even get tired even before the day is finished. It is not that they lack any sleep. A few are even disciplined enough to get the 8-10 hours sleep that is needed. What is lacking in them is quantity and quality sleep.

It seems that students are so stressed out throughout the day; studying hard and sometimes getting out of control, that they find it difficult to get a full night’s sleep.

Try to think about all your worries and problems before going to bed. You will notice that you can sleep easily. In the morning, you will then feel refreshed and ready to tackle the day with a clear and focused mind.

This way, you can plan carefully, think more and have less stress compared to the times when sleep is not sufficient. At the end of that day, you will see that you have actually accomplished more things. All this because you slept right.

Being a student should not stop you from having the right time management skills. It is better to start early than later on.