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If there’s one thing that everyone has experienced at one point or another, it’s struggling with time management.
It’s difficult sometimes, to keep yourself on track and waste no time when something needs to be done. Some people struggle with chronic procrastination, and others struggle with distractions and loss of focus.
A study by Darius Foroux asked over 2-thousand people questions about procrastination. The results showed that 88% of respondents procrastinated at least one hour per day.
Cheryl Mills is a Student Success Facilitator at Fanshawe College’s Learning Centre. She says that procrastination is one of the ways people waste time most.
“I think what students historically do is they couch studying as an activity that’s done just before one takes the final exam, as opposed to changing their paradigm about studying being something that we do each and every day as we prepare for the exam. So, unfortunately, when we’re delaying our studies, the procrastination [becomes] a huge epidemic.”
The most common reasons for procrastinating stem from similar reasons.
“Okay, in terms of procrastination with stuff, I find that students tend to find what they’re studying boring or uninteresting so they don’t want to put the energy and effort into it. On the opposite end of the spectrum, it could be so voluminous and complex that it’s overwhelming and then they close down. And other times, they have no clue what they should be doing with it,” she told XFM News.
A study out of Stanford College in 2009 found that Multi-taskers also pay a high price. Multitaskers were more likely to focus on things that are less relevant to what
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they’re doing. So it goes without saying that it can be easier, and more effective, to focus on one thing at a time.
Cole Vancer is a student who tends to have a hard time staying focussed. He thinks he knows why.
“I experience this nearly every time I study. It’s kind of unavoidable, especially if you’re a teenager. Something our parents and elders never struggled with is mobile phones constantly dinging.”
He also has ways to help avoid distraction and get to work.
“I tend to resort to the classic ‘turn the distractions off ‘. Believe it or not, one of the most effective things I’ve found in my toolbox is to mentally prepare myself to study and be in the mood,” he said.
Hee may have a point. School systems across the world have begun moving to ban cell phones in class, including France, Australia, and even our own turf– Ontario.
Tips to make the most of your time
- Study frequently: Cheryl Mills says this improves information retention significantly and exponentially.
- Organize yourself strictly: Use planners, organization tools, and handy apps that may help keep you on top of your tasks
- Turn off your phone: It’s a no-brainer that cell-phones are distracting. Turn off your phone, put it on airplane mode, or put in in another room.
- Have a routine: It can help to have a pre-studying routine, or set times when you might study. This can help you get into the mood for studying and help keep you focused when you’re working.
