Time management skills are my personal hell, y’all. I’m a walking disaster at managing time. I once missed a group project meeting because I was on X scrolling through memes about “productivity tips”—like, the irony’s gonna kill me. But time management skills are straight-up essential for students. I read somewhere on Forbes that good time management can save you 2 hours a day, which is enough time to sleep or, like, actually do my homework. These time management hacks are my attempt to keep my life from being a total trash fire.
My 11 Kinda-Helpful Time Management Skills for Students
Here’s my list of time management skills that stop me from completely flunking out. I’ve tried ‘em, botched ‘em, and learned a bit.
Cut Yourself Slack: I’m so hard on myself when I mess up, but that just wastes more time. Be chill, yo.
Get a Notebook, Yo: I snagged a $3 spiral notebook from Target and scribbled my assignments in it. Helps me see my week, even if I forget to open it half the time.
My Dumb Moment: I wrote “math quiz” on the wrong day and studied the wrong stuff. My professor gave me this “you tried” look.
Set Timers Like a Dork: I do 25-minute Pomodoro sprints with my phone timer. Feels like I’m racing my own mess.
Cringe Alert: I set a timer but got distracted by X reels about UFOs. Didn’t study a single thing.
Make a Short To-Do List: I jot down three must-do tasks every morning. Keeps me from losing it.
Block Out Noise: I use Focus@Will to mute my roommate’s loud music .
Whoops: I forgot to silence my phone and got sucked into a group chat about burritos.
Batch Your Tasks: Group stuff like emails or readings together. Saves my brain from frying.
Use a Calendar App: Google Calendar’s my lifeline. I color-code classes and shifts like a total nerd.
My Fail: I double-booked a study session and a work shift. Had to grovel to my boss to swap.
Hit Big Stuff First: Tackle the scary assignments early. I got this from Getting Things Done by David Allen .
Say No Sometimes: I said yes to a friend’s game night and missed a discussion post. Don’t be me.
Take Breaks, For Real: I do 5-minute walks to clear my head. Keeps me from burning out.
Track Your Time: I tried Toggl to see where my hours go. Turns out, way too much on X.
Embarrassing Bit: I spent 2 hours on X watching cat fails. Why am I even a person?
How I Keep Messing Up Time Management Skills
Okay, real talk: time management skills are not my forte. I once spent an hour reorganizing my desk instead of studying for a history quiz—classic procrastination move. Here’s what I’ve learned from my chaos:
- Focus on the Big Stuff: Hit your high-priority tasks first. Lifehacker’s got some solid tips on this .
- Tech’s a Lifesaver: Apps like Trello keep me organized. I thought they were dumb, but they’re actually clutch.
- Don’t Overplan: I tried scheduling every minute and went insane. Leave some room to breathe.
- Learn from Screw-Ups: I flunked a quiz because I was binge-watching The Bear. Now I set phone alarms like a psycho.
I saw on Fast Company that batching tasks can boost student productivity by like 20%, which I’m trying to do without derailing again.
Finding Your Own Time Management Skills Vibe
Picking time management hacks is like picking a coffee order—personal and a little stressful. Here’s my advice, straight from my granola-bar-crumb-covered couch:
Check Yourself: I look at my week every Sunday. Sounds boring, but it shows me where I went wrong.
Know Your Flow: I’m a zombie before noon, so I study at night. When’s your brain awake?
Start Small, Dude: Don’t try all 11 tips at once. I did and crashed hard. Pick one or two.
Use Cool Apps: Trello’s free and feels like a game. Notion’s dope too .
Wrapping Up My Time Management Skills Disaster
So, yeah, I’m still a hot mess at time management skills, sitting here in my Denver chaos with my cat plotting my downfall. I’ve cried over late assignments, eaten too many granola bars while procrastinating, and still forget to check my notebook half the time. But these student productivity hacks have kept me from totally flunking. Check out Lifehacker or Fast Company for more time management hacks if you’re curious.
Outbound Link 2:
Funny Source: Link to a widely known, funny article or meme compilation about the struggles of student life and procrastination. Something like “27 Tweets That Perfectly Sum Up Finals Week.”
