Time management is one thing that a lot of students seem to struggle with at Falls Church High School, and I don’t blame them. Test taking, projects, studying, homework, basic classwork and spending time with family and friends while trying to do extracurricular activities after school all at the same time can really take a lot out of you. Here are at least seven time management tips that could help all FCHS students in the long run.
First, keep in mind you should start each day with a clear, clean cut focus. The very first work-related activity of your day should be to determine what exactly you want to achieve on that day and what must be accomplished first. Setting a clear focus for your day might require as little as five minutes, but can save you several hours of wasted time and effort.
Second, make a dynamic task list. It is absolutely important that you capture the tasks and activities you must do and update it regularly throughout the day. Revisit this list frequently and add new items as soon as they appear. Make sure your list also gives you a quick overview of everything that’s urgent and important, and remember to include strategic and relationship-building activities as well as operational tasks.
Third, focus on high-value activities. Before you start something new, identify the activity that would have the most positive effect on your current situation, and deal with it right now. Resist the temptation to clear smaller, unimportant items first. Start with what is most important. Catching the big fish matters more than the little ones.
Fourth, minimize distractions and interruptions. Identify the activities that tend to disrupt your work, and find a solution. For example, avoid checking your social media apps and answering the phone when you’re in the middle of something important. Once you have broken your flow, it can be difficult to reestablish it. Instead, discipline yourself to work on a task single-mindedly until it’s complete. last minute.”
Fifth, and perhaps the most important and most common one: stop procrastinating! If you have difficulties staying focused or you tend to procrastinate, you may benefit from creating a deadline for yourself to complete your work before it is actually due. Once you’ve done this,
The official logo of the Advanced Placement progran.
(Photo courtesy of College Board)
allow yourself small rewards to celebrate!
Sixth, limit your multi-tasking. Keep in mind that while you may be capable doing certain tasks at once, you can only keep it up.
Finally, review your day in full. Spend at least 5 to 10 minutes reviewing your task list every day before you leave school. Give yourself a pat on the back if you achieved what you wanted. If you think your day’s effort fell short, decide what you’ll do differently tomorrow in order to accomplish what you need to. These steps may or may not work for everybody, since everybody manages their time differently, but if this helped any of you Jags out there, I’m mighty happy it did!