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Secrets to Time Management

 

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Farah Osman

by Farah Osman

2nd-Year Marketing Student

Being a student is time-consuming. From studying for midterms to participating in extracurricular activities, going to networking events to advance your career, and finding time to socialize, life can get overwhelming. 

But there’s a way to organize this “overwhelming-ness”: I call these tips the Secrets to Time Management.

1. Turn off your social media

This is something I always do come exam season. Delete all social media from your phone until your exams are all done.  It’s the simple concept of “out of sight, out of mind”.  At first, it’ll be hard, and you’ll find yourself looking for your social apps, but pretty soon you’ll forget they ever existed.

2. Make a Google Calendar

As someone who has tried every kind of calendar, from trendy notebook agendas to white board posters, I can easily say that Google Calendar is the most efficient. On Google Calendar, you can colour code your different commitments, install reminders on your phone for appointments, and coordinate Google Calendar invites. If you’re finding it difficult to make time for all of your commitments, I highly recommend committing to a Google Calendar!

3. Don’t try to multitask

Multitasking is a common myth. Scientifically, the human brain cannot do two or more things simultaneously.  When you are “multitasking”, you’re actually just switching back and forth between two activities at a fast pace, decreasing your productivity in both activities significantly. You’re better off just completing task one and then tackling task two, three, etc.

4. Make a daily to-do list

Every day, either before bed or when you wake up in the morning, make a list of all the things you have to accomplish that day. Checking them off will be super satisfying and will help you stay on track with your goals.

5. Remember why you are here.

When you feel overwhelmed or helpless, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Why are you in university?
  • Why are you participating in clubs?
  • Why are you applying for COOP?
  • Why are you going to work?
  • Why are you aiming for a 10.0 GPA?
  • Why are you reading this blog?

Everything has a purpose: you are advancing your career. Everything you do and all the effort you put in will pay off. The years you spend at university will pave the way for the rest of your life, so make the most of them.  Keep in mind that life is not going to be this stressful forever; work hard now so you can relax later. Hopefully, asking yourself these questions when you feel vulnerable will help you keep the bigger picture in mind and motivate you to give everything, no less than 110% of your effort.