How can you help students manage their time effectively?

1 Assess your students

The first step to help your students manage their time effectively is to assess their current skills and challenges. You can do this by using surveys, quizzes, interviews, or self-reflection exercises. The goal is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your students, as well as the factors that affect their time management, such as motivation, procrastination, distractions, deadlines, expectations, and feedback. By understanding your students' needs and preferences, you can tailor your guidance and resources accordingly.

2 Teach your students how to set SMART goals

The second step to help your students manage their time effectively is to teach them how to set SMART goals. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. SMART goals help your students define what they want to achieve, how they will measure their success, whether they have the resources and skills to accomplish it, why it is important for them, and when they will complete it. By setting SMART goals, your students can focus on the most important and urgent tasks, avoid ambiguity and confusion, and increase their motivation and confidence.

3 Introduce your students to various tools and techniques

The third step in helping your students manage their time effectively is to introduce them to various tools and techniques. Calendars and planners can help them keep track of their deadlines, appointments, events, and reminders. To-do lists are useful for listing tasks, prioritizing them, and checking them off as they complete them. Time blocks allow for allocating specific periods of time for specific tasks. The Pomodoro technique involves working in short bursts of 25 minutes, followed by a 5-minute break. After four pomodoros, a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes is recommended. This technique helps improve concentration, productivity, and creativity.

4 Encourage your students to monitor and evaluate their progress

The fourth step to help your students manage their time effectively is to encourage them to monitor and evaluate their progress. This means that your students should regularly check how they are doing with their goals, tasks, and time blocks, and see if they need to make any changes or improvements. You can help your students by providing them with feedback, coaching, mentoring, or peer support. You can also use tools such as rubrics, checklists, or portfolios to help your students assess their work quality and outcomes.

5 Support your students to balance their commitments

The fifth step to help your students manage their time effectively is to support them to balance their academic, personal, and professional commitments. This means that your students should not neglect their health, well-being, hobbies, interests, relationships, or career goals while pursuing their research and scholarship. You can help your students by promoting a culture of wellness, respect, and collaboration in your classroom, by offering flexible and diverse learning opportunities, and by connecting your students with relevant resources and networks.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?