Effective Time Management Tips to Help You Meet Your Homework Deadlines

Students today are assigned more homework than any generation before them. Learning in class today is supported and augmented by self-study and research in the form of homework assignments and contribute a great deal to a student’s progress in school. Most students burdened with homework have one common complaint- TIME!
Students today have packed schedules where they balance school, extracurricular activities and active social lives. More often than not they don’t have trouble with homework because they don’t understand it, or because it is too much effort, they struggle with homework because they always run out of time. Thus effective time management has become a crucial part of student life which can help them optimize their time and effort and ensure that they never miss a homework deadline again.
Here are some tried and tested Time Management Tips to help you meet all your Homework Deadlines:

1. Draw up a time table:
   

• This is the first step to ensuring that you never procrastinate and always make your homework deadlines.
• Time Management thrives on schedules. In order to be successful in this endeavour, not only do you need to schedule your study hours, you need to schedule your life.
• Schedule all daily activities like exercise, school, dance class, entertainment and meal times. This ensures that none of you other activities eat into your study time.
• The only way to ensure that you have the time to work on your assignment is to allot time specifically for that purpose.
• Give yourself a specific but study time and stick to it. You may keep it a little flexible depending on your workload and other extraneous circumstances, but by and large try to stick to it religiously.
• When you schedule your study hours, be realistic and understand the needs of your assignments.
• Use a study planner to keep track of your homework and assignments. You can also use a daily or a monthly planner to keep track of your other activities, examination schedules and social engagements.
• Not all assignments need the same amount of time so begin as soon as possible to give yourself enough time to submit good work to your teachers within the deadline.

2. Carry a notebook at all times:

• A notebook can be life saver when you’re trying to manage your time effectively.
• You must carry it with you at all times and jot down any important details.
• Don’t rely on your memory when new homework is assigned. Keep your notebook handy to jot down details that you might otherwise forget.
• This way you don’t have to waste time calling your friends after school to cross check details that you may have missed or cannot remember.
• Notebooks are also great in case of unforeseen circumstances that could cause scheduling conflicts. For instance you can jot down the time for a doctor’s appointment to ensure that you don’t forget to make up for the study time that you missed.
• You can also jot down important points or plan assignments on the go. Every little bit counts when you’re trying to optimize your time.

3. Don’t underestimate the power of organization:
   

• Good organization is the key to success and it is a miracle worker when you want to effectively manage your time.
• Good organization will save you time in every aspect of your life.
• Begin with a neat and organized timetable that you hang above your workspace.
• You don’t want a scribbled timetable that will take you five minutes to decipher every morning. Make your changes neat, bold and legible so that you don’t misunderstand any aspect of it.
• A well organized and uncluttered workspace can save you a lot of time spent looking for assignments, resource materials, books and stationery on a messy desk.
• Keep everything you need within arm’s length so that once you sit down to work, you don’t have to waste time looking for anything.
• When organizing your study materials ensure that you have a neat filing system. Don’t mix up class notes with research and incomplete assignments with ones you have completed.
• Neatly file and label your work in separate folders so that you only reach for what you need and never land up in class with the wrong file.

4. Avoid Distractions:
   

• Some students are good at multi-tasking and perhaps you would be too, but if you want to optimize your time and finish your work quickly, this is ill-advised.
• Some students like to work with some background music. Either a TV, a music system or in a loud environment. However research shows that this actually slows you down as it forces your brain to focus on more than one thing.
• Find yourself a quiet and secluded spot, devoid of all distractions and work on your assignment in peace. Your workspace cannot be in the middle of the living room with the TV blaring on the background, or on the kitchen table as your mum cooks dinner.
• If you want to finish your homework as fast as possible, eliminate all sources of distraction and focus on it wholeheartedly. It will be done before you know it.
• Avoid responding to phone calls, text messages on logging into social media when you’re trying to study. Don’t even do it during a break as it will take you longer to refocus.
• If you’re a teacher trying to stop your students from getting distracted during Physics class, check out this article on How to make Physics interesting for your students with real world examples.
  

5. Plan your Assignment:
   

• This is where most students make a mistake. They dive into their assignments headfirst without any proper planning. In the process they spend four hours on a simple two hour assignment.
• A planned approach is an excellent time saver when handling homework assignments.
• Plan the outline of your homework as soon as it is assigned. Do this in your notebook in class and run it by your teacher to ensure that you’re on the right path.
• Planning the assignment will give you an idea of the complexity of the assignment. This will help you make a realistic estimate of the time you need to research the topic and complete your work.
• Plan assignments in your free time. You can do it during break at school or in transit.
• A skeletal framework can contain simple subtopics, key points, important quotes or essays you want to refer to, so that you know exactly what to look for when you’re in the library.
• If you’ve planned your assignment beforehand, the execution is twice as fast because you don’t have to waste time thinking or fact checking. Just plan it, research it and put it on paper.

6. Understand your capabilities and limits:
   

• When students are under too much pressure to complete their homework, they tend to neglect themselves.
• Most students make the mistake of procrastinating and letting their assignments pile up till their forced to stay up all night and complete them all at the last minute.
• This is an extremely unhealthy work ethic that affects you in more ways than you realize. Good time management will help you optimize your time without working you to the bone.
• It is not enough to work hard; you must be able to work smart.
• Make the most of your study hours by scheduling it when you feel most productive.
• Some students produce their best work under pressure, others crumble. Understand your abilities and play to your strengths but don’t procrastinate.
• Ensure that you get enough rest. Take frequent breaks while completing your homework as this helps you refocus and actually improves your speed and productivity.
• Schedule your study hours when you’re well rested.
• If you try to work when your brain is exhausted and your eyes are half dead with sleep, it will take you twice as long to complete your assignment.

With the help of these effective time management tips, you should have no trouble meeting your homework deadlines with ease. There are various professional websites which can give a closer insight to understand the difference and choose the correct option wisely.