Time management means managing time in such a way that the right time is allocated to the right activity. Under time management, time slots are assigned to specific activities as per their importance.
Time management refers to making the best use of time as time is always limited, particularly when it comes to students. For international students, time management is very important in every aspect since there are multiple factors involved, such as a part-time job, managing studies, etc.
In this article, we help you to understand why time management is highly crucial for international students and how you can master the art of optimizing the usage of time|.
Benefits of time management
- Minimal stress levels and anxiety
As a student, you get many assignments and you have to submit them within the deadline or you have to cover your syllabus in a fixed period to score better in your exams. Some students even do part-time jobs along with their studies, where they have to complete the work in a fixed period. All this work or schedule creates a kind of stress and anxiety.
Even the most successful people feel stressed to complete important deadlines. The busy schedule can get the best of students and make them feel bounded. It is quite common for international students. Managing time efficiently can help the students to reduce this stress. After proper time management, you will experience fewer tight deadlines. You will have to rush less because then you will know how much time a particular task demands and you will do that according to the schedule. As your work will be completed under a fixed schedule, you will feel relieved and if you follow time management, you will become less prone to stress and anxiety.
- Increase productivity
This is the best benefit of time management. When you manage your time well, you follow a fixed schedule in which particular work has to be done in a given time. Intervals are very important during work. Time management helps you to know when to stop, reset, and start again.
This helps to increase your productivity because, without a schedule, you might end up doing a particular work in more time than it should usually consume. Also, when you are constantly working on a single task, you may find it difficult to stay focused for a long time and may lose interest.
So under time management, you will be able to get more tasks done in less time with the required efficiency.
- Punctuality and Discipline
Under effective time management, a student learns to work efficiently in a fixed period and also when it is required. All this makes a student disciplined and punctual because under time management you follow a fixed timetable. Needless to say, punctuality and discipline have their important in the life of a student.
- Enhance the quality of work
Every student wants to do the maximum work in minimum time but it is also important that the quality of the work is not compromised. The quality of the work should be maintained. Effective time management helps you to do more work in less time with excellence. So time management helps to enhance the quality of work also. Under proper utilization of time, work can be treated according to the need, and chances of errors will be reduced. Also, with proper time management, you stop wasting time on unnecessary activities and start working on time. So, the urgent work gets the required time and work gets done efficiently.
- Decreases procrastination
Procrastination is the biggest enemy in student life. Procrastination means the urge to delay work. Poor time management often leads to procrastination. If a student manages their work properly, then the urge to delay or procrastinate the work reduces significantly.
With effective time management, you can’t say that you will do that work later, because you know work is already reserved for that time, and if you do the work now, it will be a mess. Also, time management helps you get over that laziness that often contributes to procrastination. Time management helps you to control the workload. So you become less inclined to procrastinate.
- Increased opportunities
Since effective time management helps you to do the work efficiently, this improves the quality of work. Also when efficiently managing time, a student works without much pressure. This helps to enhance decision-making and resource management skills. This all leaves a great impression on students and teachers and classmates also. And if a student is doing an internship there, it will benefit as there will be more chances of increased opportunities.
Also, time management allows students to accomplish more in a shorter period, So they will be left with more free time and can take advantage of other opportunities.
- Boosts confidence
Confidence is very necessary for a student, especially while living abroad. When work is done properly at the proper time, students feel confident. So, time management helps to feel confident and improves the command that one has on their work and schedule.
Time management also increases the productivity of the work which automatically makes the student confident about the work. You also learn to prioritize the work and finish it within the deadline. This provides a kind of confidence about the rest of the work that it can also be completed efficiently in the proper time.
- Students become organized
With time management, work is done according to its importance. So, students do all the work in an organized way with maintained quality. With effective time management, students become so organized that any emergency can be handled. This also helps to increase problem-solving skills. Furthermore, it helps to divide your time between specific activities which helps to enhance the quality and efficiency of work.
- Less wasted time
When a student knows what work has to be done at what time, then he stops wasting time on idle activities. When time is managed effectively, the time slot of every work is fixed. So, students don’t even need to waste time thinking about what to do next. Also, a student spends his time effectively on things that require that time.
- More time for hobbies
Time can’t be created, but it can be used better by good management. Time management allows a student to make better and more effective use of time. Students who make strategic plans set clear deadlines and follow the schedule strictly, become less prone to waste time instead they can follow their hobbies during that time. Under time management students get some free time to do some recreational activities which makes them happy. This helps to maintain a balance between studies and personal life. This also makes the mind fresh and creative.
- Prevents the need to rush
When students manage time poorly, they find themselves rushing from one work to another. Under time management work is done according to a timetable and every work has its time limit in which it should be done. So this prevents the student from making any kind of rush.
- Less rework
If the time management is poor, then the chances of mistakes are high in the work which leads the student to rework many times. Also, it is very time-consuming. Poor management of time leads to forgetting some details as you will be in a rush and this will lead you to need to revise and reorganize. With effective time management, there is no need to rush as you would have already distributed the time according to the need and importance of work. Also, the efficiency of work will be more as there will be fewer chances of mistakes. So, this will lead to less work.
- Fewer efforts
Under proper time management, each work has its required time. So, students have to put in less effort. They do not have to put in more effort to get the work done. Efficient time management makes the schedule of students easier.
- Helps to manage interruptions
When you don’t have a fixed schedule, you might get interrupted while studying or doing any work. You don’t have any idea how much work requires how much time. This leads to missed deadlines sometimes. Distractions or interruptions can lead to poor productivity, but under time management you know that a particular work has to be done in a given period. So this helps to avoid interruptions and helps to get the work done properly within the deadline. Time management helps to overcome all distractions and ensure better outcomes.
- Enhance decision-making skills
Poor time management can lead to poor decision-making skills. When the schedule is not fixed, there is always a hurry in every work and students don’t get enough time to make effective decisions. But under proper time management, work is done according to the timetable, you learn how to make decisions for the distribution of time accordingly. You learn to prioritize work accordingly. All this enhances your decision-making skills. You learn to consider all aspects while deciding on anything.
Time Management Skills
If you want to enjoy the benefits of time management, it is necessary to follow effective time management. The skills needed for time management are critically important for students and can be acquired.
Here, we list down certain skills that international students should strive to master:
- Effective planning
Students should plan their day well in advance. They can prepare a timetable each day like what work they have to do and what their deadlines are. They can prioritize the work according to the deadlines. High-priority work should be at the top of the list. Also, time slots should be mentioned how much time a particular work requires. You can mark the work once they get finished. You should ensure that work gets finished according to the timetable.
- Setting goals and objectives
Working without goals and objectives is just a waste of time. So, students need to set goals and some objectives and then work accordingly to achieve them. You should decide your goal like how much work you have to complete by the end of the day. All the goals should be set according to your limitations and strength. Many times, students tend to set goals that are too huge to be accomplished and that proves to be counterproductive.
- Setting deadlines
Setting deadlines and trying to complete the work within that deadline are very important. You should set the deadline for the work according to the priority and the time required to complete that.
Setting deadlines helps you to remember that this particular work has to be done in a given period. Because of this, you can work fast and efficiently.
- Learn to say NO when it is needed
Sometimes, you already have a lot of work to finish. Someone can ask you for help. Helping others is good but it is likely for students to encounter situations where they have got too much to do. You should not help others at the cost of your loss, otherwise, you will not be able to follow your planned schedule. You can say no to them or can help later. Also, sometimes your friends can invite you to hang out but if you want to follow proper time management, you should respond according to the timetable. If there is a free time slot in your timetable then you are allowed but if your schedule is busy then you should say no.
- Spend the right time on the right activity
You should maintain the habit of doing the right activity at the right time. You should not give more time that can be accomplished in lesser time. You should not spend a great deal of time on social media. Also, as students, it is not uncommon to end up spending a lot of time with friends. While it may not do too much harm, spending a lot of time there can be a bit counterproductive.
- Take a break between tasks
When you constantly work for a long time, it becomes difficult to stay focused. This affects the efficiency of work. After all, students are not machines. The mind needs some relaxation. So, a small break must be conducted between two consecutive tasks. This will help you to relax your mind. You will be able to remain focused for more time.
- Grouping together similar tasks
This is a good step to following effective time management. Grouping similar tasks together help in getting more work done in less time with efficiency. However, you should avoid multitasking. It can be very tempting. You should also track your timetable like are you following the schedule set by you as little procrastination will make your time management strategy poor.
Overall, the importance of managing time effectively cannot be overstated. For international students especially, the art of time management is a critical one. Following the steps mentioned in this article can help you acquire this art.
