College is not an easy part of life. It involves a lot of studying; doing research, working, and trying to maintain a social life. All this can be crippling for a working student and burnout can be a daily companion for you. At times, it takes working smart and not hard to reach all our set priorities. Here are some of the my favorite productivity hacks that will work for you.
1) Productivity hacks to conquer procrastination.
Nobody loves procrastinating, yet here we all are falling under its snares. It’s easy to develop a procrastinating habit and it’s even harder to break it without the right plans an priorities in place.
Once I had an assignment which I decided to push back till the deadline was due. This caused me to make a stupid decision to copy paste and as you can guess I failed terribly in that assignment. I could go on and on about my embarrassing hits of procrastination but that is of no good to anyone. Here are five ways to get rid of procrastination.
Set Daily reminders.
An app like Google calendar could help you with this. Every night before heading to bed, plan all the stuff that needs to get done and set reminders of when to carry them out. This will save you the last minute rush of trying to come up with a 10 page assignment when it’s one day due.
Get an accountability partner
The American association of training and development in their study, found that people are likely to have a 65% chance of achieving a goal if they have an accountability partner. It could be your roommate, a classmate or your best friend. Someone who understands and values your goals. Accountability partners will remind you of your goals and help you review how far along you are in accomplishing them.
Having an accountability meeting will further increase your chances of goal success to 95%.
Maybe it’s time you got an accountability buddy.
Create a routine
Routines are not only for newborn babies. They work well with grown ups too. In fact, a healthy routine will put you in a better position of achieving your goals in the planned time. Healthy sleeping schedules will ensure that you are well rested and ready to tackle your daily activities. You can have a routine on;
Sleep, meals, exercises, hobbies and any other thing that helps you work better. Plus, routines are a great way to foster habits and get rid of the small inconsistencies in your life.
Morning routine examples:
I wake up at 6.00 am and I have to write a minimum of 500 words before I start my day. So, what’ your morning routine?
Tick off your to-do list.
Nothing feels as good, like ticking off a completed task. Strive to complete tasks that take less than five minutes the moment they crop up. It could be clearing the dishes, folding your laundry or sending a follow up email to your professor. This will save you more time later on and give you enough to work on tasks that need more time and attention.
Turn off the social media feeds
Well, not entirely. Social media has its own unique advantages that we cannot discredit, not to mention it helps us stay in the know of the happenings around us.
A couple of days ago I realised that I was spending close to four hours on YouTube daily. And no, I was not searching for productivity tips or learning a new skill online. I got rid of the notification bells, set timers for the time I spent on YouTube and set a scheduled time for when to check my social feeds and reply to emails.
If you’re struggling with addiction to a certain website that’s not beneficial, you can delete, set timers to regulate use and find an alternative productive activity to focus on.
2) Maximize on to-do list Apps
Have a to do list, set a schedule of when to do certain tasks as this will help you efficiently complete your work to avoid last minute rush.
Google Keep is my favorite app. It’s easy to use and navigate. All your lists are kept safe and you can collaborate with others if you are working on group assignments. Keep enables you to categorize your thoughts and lists into labels for easier retrieval. Having a list is an essential productivity hack for busy college students. You can color code your notes and include tags for fast retrieval.
Did I tell you how refreshing it is to check off a to-do list?
3) Take interval breaks.
All work and no play makes you a dull college student. A structured break every few minutes or hour will not only re-energize but also clear your head of frustrations. Our brains cannot function like machines, and too much work can be overbearing and stress full. So, enough rest may be good for us physically and mentally to give us enough energy, and to jumpstart the next task ensuring a productive day and a sane you.
4) Change Scenery
Move from your room and head to the coffee shop in town, or a park near you. A change in scenery will prepare your mind for the task ahead. And who pays for expensive coffee and doesn’t get the work done? Find a favorite spot and work your goals like its your last chance.
5) Get your creative juices flowing.
Among all productivity hacks described here, this is the most underutilized. Working on something creative each day boosts your productivity and creative levels. Are you a knitting/crocheting pro, then do it, create a new pattern. Paint a landscape, write a story, unleash your creative potential. Creative activities open a whole new world with endless possibilities and charm to work on your goals. Whatever it is, get something creative going in your life. We have a list of awesome hobbies that will get you productive and make you money along the way.
6) Get your muscles moving.
Exercising is good for both your mind and body. Exercise will put your body in good shape and your mind in a relaxed state. A healthy mind is a productive mind. A study has shown that workday exercise will improve a person’s time management and promote completion of your workload. There are tonnes of youtube pages focused on helping you find the perfect exercise that works for you.
Food, no matter how its effects are downplayed, has a huge impact on our productivity. If possible, make your own meals, eat the recommended portions and stay hydrated throughout the day.
7) Track your time during tasks.
Tasks can be as long as you want them to be. Tracking your tasks through apps like Clockify will help you know the amount you spend on each task, review areas that you are slacking and identify your points of strength. With this task time data in your hand, you will plan better and set your priorities during goal setting.
When it comes to productivity, how successful or unsuccessful you are, lies in your hands (Or your head particularly). You don’t have to try out these productivity hacks as a whole. You can implement one over a period of time then move to the next until you find one that works in your situation.
Which productivity hacks will you be trying out first?