College years are amazing - but they can be very stressful too. A number of projects and writing assignments might seem overwhelming to many students, especially if they didn’t have such workload at school. Add spending time with friends, taking care of various daily tasks, and even working sometimes - and you wouldn’t be surprised that some students find it incredibly hard to get through their college years without having their grades dropped.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Successfully combining college, personal life, and even work is totally possible if you learn how to organize your time right. So here are some tips that will help you become a more productive student.

 

1. Learn where does your time go.

 

First, spend some time analyzing your daily routines and studying. Try to find out how much time it takes for you to write a definition essay, to clean your room, etc. If possible, consider writing down everything you do and the time it takes for you to do this. Do so for a couple of days - and then compare your notes.

This could help you with two things. First, it will be easier for you to discover things that steal your precious time - and minimize if not eliminate them. Second, it will help you understand how much time it takes for you to complete certain tasks. You can use this information later for planning.

 

2. Plan everything.

 

While there's no one and the only way to plan everything, there are some things you can focus on first: schedule, home assignments, and other tasks that aren’t related to your studies but still need to be done.

You can use different apps for this or store all the tasks you need to complete as well as lectures and events you need to visit in one place, be it an app or an ordinary planner. One of the best ways to plan your week is to write down the list of tasks first and then try to distribute them equally. This won’t be easy at first but this will help you not to find yourself overloaded with college assignments later.

 

3. Write down things to remember.

 

Some of us are good at remembering things and details that have to be done, some are not. But either way, it’s always better to write down things you consider useful, from tasks you need to complete to films you were recommended to watch. Not only this ensures you won’t forget this - it also helps you clear your brain a bit. You won't need to keep in your head anymore and will be able to focus on other things more effectively.

 

4. Use apps to help you.

 

Struggle to stay healthy and productive at the same time? Check out apps that offer you some short exercise programs, help to maintain water balance, etc.

There are plenty of apps and extensions out there - and some of them can really help you make the most out of your days.

 

5. Listen to the right music.

 

Concentration doesn’t always come easily, but there are things that could actually aid the process. For example, certain music (like classical or instrumental) makes it easier to concentrate on a work. You can create your own playlist or google ones created by other students - either way, this will help you.

 

6. Schedule time for social media.

 

Though social media do help us keep in touch with our friends and learn new things, they can be one of our biggest time-stealers at the same time. Sure, you might turn off the notifications while studying, promising yourself to check social media only during breaks - but this won’t help if you get too caught in the process.

If social media are a big distraction for you, schedule time for checking them and set reminders or timers when needed. This will ensure that you’ll actually spend those 10 minutes you intended to spend on checking them.

 

7. Work to create a perfect study environment.

 

Our environment affects our concentration and work process more than we think. This is especially important for those students who get distracted easily.

Imagine a neatly organized place with a proper lighting: everything you need lies near you, your eyes don’t get tired easily, etc. And imagine trying to work at a messy table, searching for your notes into a pile of books and getting distracted by the things lying around. Which do you think is easier?

 

8. Sleep properly.

 

A healthy lifestyle affects our productivity much more than we think. Even if you struggle with eating properly and exercising regularly, there’s still something you can do to benefit your health: get a nice amount of sleep each night.

Going to bed and getting up at one time each day makes it easier for you to awake and concentrate. And having a healthy amount of sleep allows your brain to function better.

 

Hopefully, these tips will help you become more productive and make the most out of your college years.