Time management in the study

If you are in the university studying in a career that requires an average of 8 hours of study per day, you need to work to pay for your course. Chances are you know well how valuable time is.

Time management must be efficient so that you can study for tests and do assignments. In addition to that, you can separate time to rest, take care of yourself and be able to spend time with friends or family.

When I entered med school, I saw the importance of creating a routine, even though, it had to be structured, so I could have the necessary time to study, learn, memorize and deliver what my career demands.

As a medical student, I have a lot of material and books to go over each day every week.

So I saw the importance of being up to date with the content because every week that goes by, new content is presented in class, a result of this ends up delaying or letting it accumulate.

Once material piles up, the tendency is to grow the mountain more and more.

In addition, we all know how important it is to have a balance between study and personal life.

Every human being needs rest and time to exercise, sleep properly, eat healthy and nutritious food, etc.

With that, I decided to share with you some tips, which I have used in my routine and have been helping me keep time well managed.

1- Make a calendar with important delivery dates.

Above all, you must keep important dates in mind, such as exams, assignments, presentations, etc. Write it down on a board or cell phone calendar with reminders to help you remember.

However, this serves as a basis for setting up your study schedule, helping you organize yourself.

Knowing your main goals during the semester, helps you mentalize yourself what you need to achieve, thus avoiding scheduling events, outings with colleagues and family at times that should be used for productivity and studying. or work.

2- Make a daily list of what daily goals.

Dividing a big chunk of subjects into small pieces of content can help you go on with the study every day with a consistent matter. So you have an idea of ​​what you need to study, what resume makes, how many flashcards produce, etc.

There are easier ways you can break down your mountain of paper and books, weekly goals. How? That is easy! In small blocks. Knowing a little about the content was given during the week is easier because you know what the topics are and what to prioritize every day so that you can break it down into small portions or sections with that you can fit them into a routine.

Consequently, you have a basis to be able to create a routine. Similar to we see a lego, you break them down into smaller tasks, so you can have a better view of what to do throughout each day.

I usually write in a list like “To do list”

In this list, I write my daily goals hierarchically, keeping in mind what I should do for the day. An example is (study a previous physiology class, update two parasites from the parasitology subject, see images from the histology book, etc.)

I do not stress about having to do 100% of the list every day although, I always have in mind to do at least 80% of this list so I don’t end up accumulating for the following days, thus having a correct organization daily.

I put what I can do faster first, then I put the most time-consuming and demanding tasks for later taking care of the time so I don’t waste too much on just one assignment.

3-Create a structured and healthy routine.

It is necessary to have an organized routine, it serves to not be lost without knowing the schedule for the day, what classes you have, which subjects, times during the day you have available for study.

Me, for example, I dedicate my morning and afternoon periods to study/classes, every day of my week I know exactly what I will do at a specific time of day.

If I have classes all morning, then the afternoon will be free, so I leave that moment to look at the content given that day or go over something I feel needs a review.

A structured routine helps to not waste time thinking about what to do first or which chapters you have to look over that day, which page they are etc. As you plan your day, you will already have in your mind exactly what you are going to do at each moment of the day, saving time for study, work, or even using it to do physical exercises.

I prefer to wake up at the same time every day, usually at 7:30 am because my biological clock gets used to the early hours resulting in more comfortable to start doing things due to the habit. An outcome me being more efficient in the morning helping me retain more information and study, same goes for for for bedtime.

Having a healthy routine helps be efficient, it allows balance in our daily lives, avoiding the formation of chronic stress, also gaining free time to take care of yourself, give you time to rest. 

Lately, studies have shown the importance of having correct physical conditioning, it can prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases and cancers. This has been proven in several studies, hence the importance of maintaining a healthy body by exercising.

I separate a time to do physical exercises after dinner, I spend an hour and a half at least 3x a week. According to the WHO, “it is recommended that you do 150-300 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75-150 minutes of intense physical activity. “.

I also spend time learning new things, like a new language, working on some extracurricular projects, as well as talking to family members or being with a loved one, friends, etc.

With that, I take care of my mental health and prevent burnout.

4-Use time management system techniques

Time management techniques allow you to work efficiently and productively, allowing as much work/study as you can in a limited amount of time, and using a fraction of the time to rest and not think about work (need to allow short breaks between study sessions

I tested myself and resulted from 2-3x more efficient than simply studying 2 hours or 3 hours straight. 

I managed to learn more with the study reaching my goals faster and more concentrated way. As a result of this, more time to do other things, even more, so I don’t end up exhausted. I manage to train my mind to make the most of every fraction of my study time.

This technic called the Pomodoro technique, I have implemented it in my study blocks.

“The Pomodoro Technique is a time management system that encourages people to work with the time they have—rather than against it.”

https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/pomodoro-technique

5-Avoid distractions

Moments that you have to study, there is the possibility of events taking your attention away, which is why it is critical to limit your distractions so that your study and your time be efficient.

Use your study time to study and avoid talking to friends, using your cell phone, or entering social media. Such things can be distractions that may pop up now and then, you may not have control over, but the distractions you do have control over mostly come from your electronic devices, so whenever you sit down to study, keep your cell phone as far away from the desk as possible. Study in silence preferably. In your computer only leave search tabs and the files you are working on open.

Distractions from others can lead to procrastination, which is considered a prevalent enemy of college students.

Procrastination is something that no one I know of is immune to, so it can be a limiter that delays your time in ways that you don’t even realize.

For example, receiving a mobile notification from Instagram, “Jade posted a new photo” or “Lucas liked your photo” can get attention. This results in stopping what you are doing and ending up unlocking the phone so you can see what it is about. Finally spending 15 minutes on Instagram and wasting time that could be used 15 minutes to finish your chapter or summary faster.

Conclusion

 With these tips, I can say that when applied correctly and simultaneously I can accomplish almost all my goals with precision.

Being able to use my time efficiently and take care of my mental health simultaneously in moments of intense studies, as well as using less time. then expected to be able to get where I need to be.

Reminder: that these techniques may not work for everyone, but from my experience, I could see that they worked and also helped multiple medical students (Kharma Medic for example) I know and were discussed worldwide, so it does not hurt to test!

I hope that it can help you on your future journey!

-Kel