Has schoolwork been piling up the last few weeks in massive quantities? Are you feeling a bit guilty for pushing off projects and papers until the last minute? It’s okay. You’re not the only one trading in that #FridayFeeling for a hot date with a textbook and your computer screen.
This time of the semester is a doozy for the majority of students across campus. Midterms drain students mentally and physically, and unlike finals, the end isn’t near just yet. There’s still work to be done, but finding the time to do it isn’t easy. That’s exactly why properly managing the minutes you have is essential to midsemester success and wellness.
The Student Success Team has a few tips and tricks up their sleeves to help you accomplish goals throughout the week in order to fully #FinishFridays. Read below to see our top three recommendations to help you properly preserve your #FridayFeeling.
- Don’t Multitask: Doing several things at once actually reduces productivity and lowers work quality. Brains aren’t wired to multitask; we think we’re accomplishing a lot, but in reality we’re just quickly switching back and forth between tasks. This results in us spending most of our time refocusing on what’s in front of us, which can steal many minutes away at a time. Create a list of tasks to accomplish, and dedicate your energy to one at a time.
- Schedule Free Time: This is one of the most important aspects of time management, and often the most overlooked. When tasks begin piling up, our first instinct is to fill every minute of the day with work. Unfortunately, this isn’t realistic. Even if you successfully manage to get through the day without taking a well-being break, you simply cannot account for unexpected distractions, such as a sick child or an impromptu meeting with the boss. Schedule time to respond to those interruptions. When your break is over, you can successfully get back to work feeling confident that things are going according to plan.
- Implement the 2-minute Rule: Small, mundane tasks clutter our minds, instill guilt, and take away precious mental energy from essential projects. Don’t let them. If a task takes less than two minutes, do it now, even if it’s not work-related. Book that critical appointment, clean up your messy desk, and respond to that text message. Once your 2-minute tasks are out of the way, turn off all notifications and fully immerse yourself in the project at hand.
Need more help with time management? Mason’s Learning Services offers great workshops to help students build the skills needed to succeed in college, including time management.