Time management is one of the most valuable skills a student can learn, especially as they navigate the demands of school, extracurriculars, and personal life. For parents, supporting their children in mastering time management can help set them up for success now and in the future. A time management conversation can be kicked off with honest answers to questions, such as:
- Do you have a daily routine that you follow?
- Do your main activities during the day fit together in a structured way?
- Do you often find yourself doing things that interfere with your schoolwork simply because you hate to say ‘No’ to people?
Studies show that teens who develop strong time management skills are more likely to perform better academically and experience less stress. Research on time management suggests that it enhances job performance, academic achievement, and overall well-being. So, how can you help your child build these skills? Here are eight strategies and some tools to help your student manage time more effectively.
8 Time Management Hacks for Students or Anyone
1. Prioritize Goals
Help your child master time management by understanding the importance of setting clear priorities. Have a conversation about their top goals for the school year, which could include academic achievements, sports milestones, or personal goals like staying healthy. Once these priorities are set, break them down into actionable steps. For example, if one of their goals is to improve in math, discuss what resources they might need and what smaller tasks will help them reach that goal - weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc. Teaching them to write down their goals and how to outline the steps to achieve them can improve their focus and accountability.
Tool for Prioritizing: Trello – Trello’s visual boards make it easy to organize goals into manageable steps, helping your child see what needs to be done at a glance.
2. Create a Time Budget
Encourage your child to view time like a budget. Just as they would manage money, they can manage their time by dividing it among tasks and activities. Creating a daily or weekly schedule is a great way to practice. Research from the American Psychological Association shows that students who plan their schedules are less likely to procrastinate and more likely to achieve their goals.
Tool for Scheduling: Google Calendar—This versatile app can help users plan their days, set reminders, and even color-code different activities for easy reference.
3. Make To-Do Lists
To-do lists are powerful tools for staying organized. According to a study by LinkedIn, 63% of professionals use to-do lists to organize their work. Teaching your child to create a daily list can help them stay on track and prevent tasks from slipping through the cracks. They can even prioritize the list, putting less desirable tasks at the top so they can tackle them with a fresh mindset.
To-Do List Tool: 2Do – This app makes it easy to create and manage lists, offering a user-friendly interface that’s perfect for teens.
4. Minimize Distractions
One of the biggest challenges for students today is staying focused amidst constant distractions, especially from their phones. Encourage your child to set aside dedicated study times where they put their phone on airplane mode or use an app that blocks social media. Studies have shown that multitasking can reduce productivity by as much as 40%, so emphasize the importance of focused, uninterrupted work sessions.
Tool for Focus: Focus@Will – This app uses music designed to enhance focus, helping students maintain concentration during study time.
5. Practice Saying No
For many students, learning to say no is essential to managing time effectively. It’s impossible to do everything, and spreading themselves too thin can lead to burnout. Help your child understand that it’s okay to decline certain activities if they interfere with their priorities. By saying no, they can avoid overcommitting and stay focused on what matters most.
Tool for Setting Boundaries: The student can practice saying no with respect and confidence in front of the mirror at home. As a parent, it is important to model that same behavior and even point out when you, as an adult, say no.
6. Find Motivation
Motivation is key to staying on track with time management. Help your child identify what motivates them, whether it’s the sense of accomplishment, a specific reward, or future goals. Regularly reviewing and celebrating small successes can help sustain their motivation over time. A study by Harvard Business Review suggests that 72% of people feel more motivated when they track their progress toward goals.
Tool for Motivation: EpicWin – This app turns goals into quests, helping make motivation and progress tracking more engaging.
7. Schedule Breaks
The human brain can only handle so much before it needs a break. Taking short breaks can improve focus and productivity. Encourage your child to take a 10-15 minute break every hour during intensive study sessions. This will help them recharge and maintain their energy throughout the day.
Tool for Breaks: Pomodoro Timer—This tool uses the Pomodoro Technique, which alternates between 25-minute work periods and short breaks. It is perfect for helping students structure study time.
8. Prioritize Sleep
Lastly, emphasize the importance of sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends 8-10 hours for teenagers, but studies show that most teens get less than this. Poor sleep can lead to decreased concentration and academic performance. Help your child establish a regular sleep routine, which is essential for both physical and mental well-being.
Tool for Sleep: Headspace—This app offers guided meditations and sleep sounds to help users unwind and sleep better.
By implementing these strategies, you can help your child build time management skills that will serve them well in school and beyond. Time may always feel limited, but with the right techniques, they can learn to make the most of it.
Envision by WorldStrides is passionate about guiding students each step of the way as they rise to their highest potential through transformative experiences. Our programs offer hands-on experiences that allow high schoolers to test the waters of possible career tracks in:
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