Crafting a Study Timetable to aid time management
The first essential time management technique for teenagers in education is creating a study schedule. This might seem like an obvious choice, but its effectiveness cannot be underestimated. The concept of this strategy involves drafting a document that encapsulates all your ongoing commitments such as sports clubs, actual physical timetable lessons, family time, hangouts with friends and travel time to work or school among others.
These are non-negotiable tasks that won’t change regardless of the circumstances. After identifying these activities, you should then examine what time remains in your schedule and start planning accordingly. For instance, if there’s a two-hour gap available somewhere within your day, try fitting in an hour of maths revision or break it up into four half-hour blocks dedicated to various subjects that are important to you.
The Pomodoro Technique
A second method worth mentioning is the Pomodoro Technique – an effective tool I strongly recommend for students struggling with managing their study times effectively. In practice, this technique stipulates spending 25 minutes on focused studying followed by a five-minute break where you can do whatever pleases you; from scrolling through Instagram feeds to reading books or taking short walks.
This cycle allows your brain to focus before needing some refreshment after about 25 minutes which boosts productivity significantly compared to long uninterrupted hours of studying without breaks. However, remember everyone has unique concentration capabilities – while one person may concentrate fully for 30 minutes before requiring a ten-minute break another may need only five minutes after every 45 minute-study session.
Gantt Chart: From Business World To Education
Last but not least is adopting the use of Gantt charts primarily used in project management within the business world for educational purposes too! A Gantt chart helps plot out available time left before a deadline and what individual tasks need to be completed before then. This helps in meticulously planning each step that needs to be taken towards achieving the objective.
For instance, if you have history coursework due in six weeks’ time, you can dedicate the first week for research and drafting a good plan. The second and third weeks could be spent on creating the first draft while week four would see you working on your second draft. Week five should ideally involve refining your work into its final version with an extra week set aside as contingency for any unexpected changes or additions suggested by your teacher.
The Gantt chart technique transcends just managing schoolwork – it’s a strategy that equips students with project and time management skills which are valuable later on in life regardless of their chosen career paths. Mastering this method now ensures success not only during teenage years in education but also throughout one’s professional journey.
