It is Friday, August 30th, 2024 and we are heading to the upcoming last weekend in the month of August. Have you thought about what is coming next? Yes, a new month is just around the corner. But I’m thinking about something more challenging and more mystifying.
If you guessed, school starts, you’re right! Are you already running to your favorite stores to purchase some Back-to-School Essentials?
As both students and teachers gear up for another academic year, the subject matter of time management comes into sharp focus. With the demands of coursework, extracurricular activities, and personal commitments, effective time management is not just a skill—it’s a necessity for academic success. Let us investigate three key reasons why mastering time management is fundamental in the school environment and how it can have an impact on students’ grades.
Maximizing Productivity and Reducing Stress
Time management plays a critical role in maximizing productivity, which is directly linked to academic performance. Students who manage their time successfully can complete their assignments on time. Also, they will have sufficient time to study for exams. All work and no play makes Jack and Jill a dull person. Therefore, by managing your time well, a student will have time to participate in extracurricular activities. For instance, being a cheerleader in high school. For some guys playing sports such as football or basketball might be their best subject to major in. The balance between school work and extracurricular activities are vital for maintaining mental health and reducing stress.
If you concentrate too much on your studies and neglect your social life, this might hurt one’s academic achievement. In other words, a good combination of work and play is essential. According to the authors Stuart Brown and Christopher Vaughan in their book, Play, they illustrate that by having time to play will bring more joy and happiness to a person’s life. That is why it is important to manage your time so you will have a balanced life of work and play.
When students prioritize their tasks and allocate time accordingly, they are less likely to procrastinate. Procrastination often leads to last-minute cramming for a test, which can produce stress levels. When you are working to beat a deadline because you have procrastinated, you don’t often do your best work.
On the other hand, a well-planned schedule allows you to manage your study time. Can you retain information better in the morning? Then, this is your best time to study. Or, if you are a night owl, then studying at night might be your best time to study for a test. But, getting sufficient hours of sleep before an exam is best for full retention of material.
Enhancing Academic Performance Through Consistent Study Habits
Time management is the foundation upon which consistent study habits are built. Students who set aside regular time for studying are more likely to perform better on their exams and homework. In contrast, students who sporadically study and hand in homework assignments late do not thrive in a school environment. Working under pressure does not produce your best work.
One of the biggest challenges for students is to learn how to manage their time effectively. As a classroom teacher, I noticed that time management was not being taught in the curriculum. How will students learn how to allocate specific study time for each subject? Thus, the novel, Time and Consequences, was written. As a bilingual educator specializing in Teaching English as a Second Language, I felt that by incorporating time management skills in my curriculum, it would showcase these success skills. This indirect approach has helped my students learn these competencies without even being aware of them.
Developing Essential Life Skills for Future Success
Time management is not just about succeeding in school—it’s a life skill that students will carry with them into adulthood. Learning to manage time effectively in an academic setting prepares students for the challenges of the professional world too where project deadlines must be met and of course arriving on time to work.
In school, students learn to balance their academic responsibilities as well as their extracurricular activities. This balancing act teaches them how to prioritize tasks, set goals, and make decisions. These skills that are invaluable in the workplace. For example, a student who learns to manage their time well in school is likely to excel in a job that requires them to meet tight deadlines as well as having the ability to manage multiple projects.
The Academic Power of Time Management
As we approach the 2024-2025 school year, it is apparent that time management is more important than ever for students. As the new school year begins in September 2024, let time management be the tool of the trade that is implemented across all subject classes. Are you using the tool of trade that best suits your students and life style? Time management skills empowers all practitioners in all environments whether at work or at play.
