How to Improve Efficiency and Save Time in College?

No matter how many classes you attend and how much time you spend at the library, low productivity can render all that meaningless. If this sounds familiar, you might be wondering how to be productive in college while preserving a little personal freedom and fun time. Below, you’ll find a set of college student hacks that will change your life (or at least your study life).

Establish A Healthy Daily Routine

This is one of the oldest tricks in the book of college student hacks. As a student, you’ll face a life full of deadlines combined with night outs and not too many decent sleeping hours.

That’s why it's always important to wake up at the same time each morning if you can, as this helps you start your day on the right foot. Make sure you eat regularly around the same time each day and put away all your gadgets about 30 minutes before you go to bed. In addition, nothing is more important than staying healthy, so make sure to get your vitamins and minerals and exercise at least 2-3 times per week.

Plan Your Writing Assignments Ahead

Ever got stuck trying to finish a last-minute research paper? You are not alone. Writing a case study on a particular topic is no walk in the park. That’s why it’s essential to plan a writing case and your all essays ahead. If you’re stuck with a deadline, hiring an online case study writer is always an option, but since you’re probably on a budget, there are a couple of things you can do to make your life easier. Check out the existing essay examples to get an overview of the potential structure of your text.

During search, develop your argument as early as possible and present it properly. With all the information available online, make sure you find the right primary and secondary sources for your research paper. Before moving forward, ensure that your argument and topic paragraphs correspond with the assessment details and marking criteria. As you explore your topic further, your plan may change, so stay flexible.

Maximize Productivity Using Proven Methods

1. Pomodoro technique

The strategy is named after the kitchen timer shaped like a tomato (pomodoro in Italian) that its developer, Francesco Cirillo, used to help him complete his work. Sounds a bit strange for sure, but this is one of the most common student productivity hacks.

The Pomodoro technique consists of the following steps:

1. Set a timer and focus on a task for 25 minutes in total.
2. At the end of the 25-minute study session, mark the task as complete or set it aside and continue later.
3. Take a 5-minute break.
4. Start and finish another 25-minute study session.
5. After 4 pomodoros, take a longer break (15-30 minutes) after each 25-minute study session.

It is advisable to divide long-term tasks into smaller, actionable steps if they require more than four 25-minute chunks of time.

2. Make To-Do Lists

Overly long to-do lists can cause people to lose motivation or become overwhelmed. The best way to do this is to limit yourself to three to five tasks a day.

The difference between goals and tasks is also crucial to understanding. For instance, reviewing lecture notes for a math class or going shopping is a task that can be completed within a day. Learning a language or buying a new car are examples of goals, which are usually bigger and more time-consuming and should consist of many short-term plans and to-do lists.

Set Deadlines

Now that you’ve already learned how to break down your study assignments into smaller tasks, it will help to set yourself a deadline. It is recommended that you complete the first activity of the project at least one week before the deadline if it will take you three hours.

Students will benefit from this strategy by avoiding last-minute study and procrastination, normalizing deadlines, and maximizing productivity. Respecting deadlines is a crucial skill to attain before you join the job market, as many jobs require having effective time management skills.

Being productive can be challenging in a world filled with demands and distractions, especially when you're in college. The tips above can help you start living a more productive life by tailoring them to your needs, personality, and habits.