It's not just about time, but also energy.
"I really want to get so much done, but it seems like I never have enough time. Everyone has the same 24 hours, but why don't I get as much work done?". School's classic response to any issue with your academic life is two simple words: TIME MANAGEMENT. Falling behind on work? Manage your time. Feeling depressed? Manage your time. Dog died? Manage your time.
Now I want you to sharpen up your senses a little bit. Read attentively and work to implement the steps I will now discuss. And the results will speak for themselves.
TRUTH
While time management is ABSOLUTELY crucial to getting work done productively, you're only looking at half the equation. Theory will take you only so far. Energy management is the missing piece that completes the puzzle. Now think about it. Many people make their to-do lists and sometimes even schedule revision timetables to follow. They're able to plan ahead of time. But when it actually comes to doing it, we might feel lethargic, uninspired, and demotivated. Studying requires a damn good amount of focus and energy.
But we are so used to draining it via social media and entertainment, blasting ourselves with so much dopamine, that when we actually have to do the work, we feel like a hole has been drilled into the front of our brains. And some of us, after school ends, go to the library to study. But we're just so tired that the study session is unfocused, and we leave feeling like we got nothing good done. So I don't want to waste your time, here are a few tips on effective TIME AND ENERGY MANAGEMENT.
STEPS TO MANAGEMENT
1) SLEEP: Now I CAN BET my LIFE you're probably thinking," I easily survive in school with 4 hours of sleep, and my classmates do just fine with less sleep than me, so it should be fine,". It's become sort of a flex whenever people say I only slept 3 hours last night. Those people are basically saying, "I took a hammer and hit my head a few times lol,". To highlight the seriousness, a person who tried to beat the world record by staying awake for 11 days suffered from lifelong insomnia, trauma, and depression. Lack of sleep literally CHANGES your brain structure so that you become MORE DUMB. If you really respect yourself, sleep early tonight to ensure you at least get 7.5 hours of sleep. I mean it. And I'm telling you, the days I had the deepest sleep of my life were the days I got more done in 2 hours than I would normally complete over an entire day. I sometimes took afternoon naps after school to feel refreshed. Lights out.
2) DIET + FITNESS: The most common excuse I've heard people say when they don't want to work out is," I got too much work man, I got no time to hit the gym". I was trapped in this mindset too. Look, here's the reality. The days I studied after hitting the gym, my mind was just so much clearer and focused that when I did study, they were deviously intense. If I skipped the gym and tried to study with the extra time, it was usually lethargic and dragged out. Exercise releases so many hormones and triggers numerous chemical responses that I cannot explain in words how valuable the benefits are.
3) TIMETABLE: "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail" is a quote we have ALL heard. And it's for good reason too. I won't give you some fancy new technique, but here's how I schedule my days to get work done.
#A: (MACRO) I list down everything I have to do ahead of the week. I think about what I have to do within the next week, and a week is a good time span that's not too short nor too long. It helps me think about what I must complete in the long term while keeping the planning process simple. Every day I try to add in more than one type of subject to study so that I don't quickly lose interest. Plan the week. Remember to plan by considering each task's importance and urgency.
#B: (MICRO) Plan the day out. Every day, after waking up, I look at my calendar to see what work I have to get done. Then, on my whiteboard, I write a rough idea of when I plan to start and finish each task by. Doing so helps me to avoid procrastinating because I am specific in my actions. And as every task gets completed, I feel a sense of satisfaction, which keeps me motivated.
BONUS
And that's pretty much it. And here are just a few last-minute reminders I want to share with you because you've stuck with me till the end of this article. Take care of your mental health by meeting with your friends often. I like to do this by meeting up for group study sessions and the library and working out together. Talk and laugh with your parents and siblings, because whenever you are at home and not studying, you're in their company. Lastly, just make sure you work really hard way in advance of the exam, and that the day before you're completely relaxed. It's a huge confidence booster to just sit back and relax when your friends are dying from last-minute revision. Hope you found value in this.
From,
A Fellow Student.
Image credits: r/IBO