Now that a new school year has started and everyone is in person, it might be a challenge to manage your time. Many students struggle with handling large amounts of homework and extracurriculars. There are many ways to improve time management, however, such as making a calendar, setting a schedule, and prioritizing.

Make a checklist

First off, make a checklist to keep track of all your classes and homework. Often students lose track of what is due, so making a checklist helps with remembering  assignments and getting them done on time. This can also be helpful because students often become stressed thinking about all the assignments they have to do instead of taking it one assignment at a time. 

Set an amount of time for each subject and make a schedule 

There might be subjects in your schedule that need more focus and time, so setting some extra time for that subject on a daily basis would be beneficial. This way,  you can keep up with the lessons and understand them better. Think about the amount of time you need for each subject and plan a schedule to get all your assignments done. You should also highlight what is urgent and do that first. Particular subjects will take longer than others depending how much work you have to do. This is a good strategy because setting a time limit for each subject allows you to do all your homework without staying up till 1:00 in the morning. With that in mind, make sure you still make time to do the things you love.

Prioritize 

Prioritizing is very important for time management; knowing the difference between what you want to do and need to do is key for time management. Students sometimes get distracted with our favorite Netflix series or favorite social media app. A good way to solve this is to set a screen time limit. This requires a lot of self discipline, but you can always rely on a friend to keep you focused. Having a person to help keep you on track with work can be very beneficial to getting assignments done. 

How to stay productive 

It is important to practice productivity so it becomes a habit. Senior Ignacio Aranda uses multiple tactics to stay productive. 

“I try to be very energetic throughout the day and get a goodnight sleep to be able to stay productive throughout the day,” Aranda said. 

It can be beneficial to practice  optimism as a way to stay productive. It can also be beneficial to utilize your extra time. There may be a few minutes you have between classes to do some school work instead of leaving it for the last minute. Time management is not an easy thing to master, but it is a useful skill to have in life. 

“I don’t think anyone has perfect time management unless you perfect that skill,” Aranda said. “[It] takes a lot of practice and a lot of experience to manage your time and a lot of self discipline.”