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Time management is a problem so many of us struggle with, and it is not an easy skill to master. In fact, it requires regular self-reflection and adjustments, especially when old habits resurface, and our work-life balance slips out of alignment.
The same can be said for college students. One study found time management among the top challenges for students to finish their degrees. Another study found that 78% of students have struggled with time management at some point during school. Additionally, 59% of those students say procrastination is the main cause.
Students are juggling so much on their plates between balancing academics, work, social life, and extracurricular activities. Without effective time management skills, students can find themselves struggling academically and mentally, leading to disengagement and delayed graduations.
Common time management pitfalls for students
As a health coach for TimelyCare, I speak with students who often feel stressed and want to feel better. We work together through TimelyCare’s health coaching service to set goals to help them manage their time more effectively.
For example, I worked with a student who felt completely overwhelmed by their responsibilities and had been reacting to school and activities as they came up, rather than planning out their daily and weekly schedules. They also wanted to adopt healthier ways to manage their stress, including incorporating more physical activity into their schedule.
To start, we reviewed their schedule for a week to identify the times they could prioritize essential tasks – such as classes, homework, studying, and social activities. This helped the student better see where they could incorporate movement into their schedule. We also explored time-blocking strategies to organize these priorities and introduced tools to help them manage their schedule and to-dos. This student preferred a digital calendar and notes app to keep them on track.
Ultimately, we set a realistic goal of fitting in exercise 2-3 times per week, with morning workouts during the week and one session over the weekend. By gradually implementing these changes, the student began to meet their goal and soon developed a consistent exercise routine. This change not only helped reduce their stress but also gave them a greater sense of control and a more positive start to their day.
The most common pitfalls we see students struggling with when it comes to time management are:
- Lack of sleep causing students to fall behind in multiple areas of life
- Procrastinating important tasks until the last minute
- Overcommitment in other areas of campus life, like social and extracurricular activities
- Lack of prioritization between urgent and important tasks
- Distractions including technology, like social media and texting
- Perfectionism causing them to take too much time on small details, slowing progress
- Lack of healthy eating and movement contributes to students feeling sluggish and unable to concentrate.
Here’s the good news. We know students want help, and there are strategies that colleges and universities can provide to help students overcome these challenges and find success both inside and outside of the classroom.
Five strategies for effective time management
1. Immediate emotional impact
When understanding a student’s struggles with time management, it is important to look at the holistic experience of the student. It is easy to get caught up in academics only, but so many students are juggling other things – jobs, family, extracurricular expectations – the list goes on. Having honest conversations with students about what is going on in their lives and approaching them with empathy can be impactful.
2. Organize, plan, prioritize
Learning how to organize, plan, and prioritize time wisely can help students manage their stress and stay on top of their workload. This is a skill that you can build into the learning experience, both from the student success lens and in the academic classroom setting.
To help a student better organize, teach them how to create a system that works – whether they use a digital planning tool, a planner notebook or simple to-do lists. Being organized helps students visualize their tasks and commitments. Breaking down bigger tasks into smaller, more manageable steps and assigning deadlines to each of them will prevent feelings of overwhelm. Is there anything more satisfying than checking off a completed task from your to-do list? This is a great way to maintain momentum.
Planning for the week ahead is another important step. By setting aside time before the school week begins to map out the week can help students avoid a last-minute scramble. Equally important is knowing that not all tasks are created equal. Knowing how to prioritize and rank tasks based on urgency can help students make better use of their time and avoid unnecessary stress and procrastination.
3. Time blocking
Time blocking the calendar to account for studying, classes, and extracurricular activities ensures there is enough time to tackle important tasks while also building in room for downtime, which is crucial to avoid burnout.
4. Practice self-care strategies
Practicing consistent, enjoyable, and effective self-care looks different for everyone and is unique to each individual student. A long walk outside with a snack break could be enough of a refresher for some, while others may get an endorphin boost from participating in a group fitness class, rec sports league, or hitting the gym. Nap time never hurts either, especially if the student is sleep-deprived from stress.
5. Know the resources available and use them
Marketing student success, health, and wellness resources around campus can encourage students to take advantage of the services available to them. It never hurts to arm faculty and staff with the information as well, so they can suggest on-campus resources when they identify a student who is struggling.
Help your students build effective time management skills.
Do not forget about faculty and staff!
In addition to the challenges students are facing with time management, many faculty and staff may be struggling, too.
Effective time management is just as essential for educators as it is for students, especially as they balance their professional and personal responsibilities. No doubt they, too, can benefit from many of the same time management strategies for students.
Striking the right balance between work and life is a necessity to reduce faculty and staff burnout. A national survey by TimelyCare found that more than half (53%) of faculty and staff have considered leaving their job because of burnout, increased workload, and stress.
Encouraging clear boundaries between work and personal time will alleviate the pressure many educators feel to be constantly available. For example, setting specific “office hours” for responding to emails can prevent work tasks from bleeding into personal time.
Just as time blocking can be effective for students, it can help faculty and staff to dedicate certain parts of the day to specific tasks – like advising, preparing for meetings, and professional service or development – to stay focused and prevent multitasking, which can reduce productivity.
Are you interested in learning what resources you can provide for the entire campus community? Continue the conversation with TimelyCare.
