Maintaining a good academic performance takes a lot of work to do. You have to juggle different requirements the quizzes, exams, projects, etc. There are also extra-curricular activities and out-of-school activities plus your personal life and social life. So how will you maintain that excellent academic performance? It is said that it takes a lot of skills to have a better academic performance. These are note-taking skills, listening skills, studying skills and time management skills.

Time management skill is one of the predictors of better academic performance and some study supported it. A study shows that effective time management strategies increase academic performance and achievement especially for college students. Furthermore, another study is conducted to determine which of the two time management or leisure activities- is effective in lowering the academic stress. The result shows that time management had a greater effect in lowering academic stress than leisure activities. Because of this, students are encouraged to attend seminars about time management and to be provided with a lot of information and training on time management.

Time management can also be applied to all areas of your academic life, in studying, in planning, in making your requirements and in your everyday life as a student.

How you will manage your time in studying for an examination? Here’s how. Avoid cramming. If your exams are in two weeks time, set a schedule for each subject to study, don’t study all subject in just one day. Your brain can’t process all the information in such a rapid rate and you may have difficulty retaining all the information in your memory. Other suggestions in managing your study time are: Study first the subjects which you like least, study during your best time of the day: If you can process more during night, then study during that time. But you have to make sure that you study in a place where there is no distraction or noise.

In accomplishing all the requirements which are usually projects, don’t procrastinate! Procrastinating is waiting to do the task until the last minute. If you have a lot of projects to do, finish first the project with the nearest deadline. Plan and make a schedule on your projects so that they will not pile up.

Also don’t forget that time management includes the fun part. There should have a balance between work and fun. If you are already tired of studying or making projects have a little time off to stretch and reward yourself for what you’ve done. Say for example after finishing an examination, plan with your friends to have an outing! This is a great way to relieve stress and the good thing is that you don’t sacrifice any of your study time because you already planned it. But remember to also say no if someone asks you for fun and you know that it will greatly affect your study time. There is an appropriate time for studying and fun!

Time management shouldn’t be considered a task; take one areas of your school life like studying and apply time management. You don’t have to impose it in yourself in just an instant. This is best effective if it is gradual.

By ensuring that you allotted time for the different aspects of your school life you will surely have a better academic performance. This will also make your school life fun and not a burden because you will be free from stress and pressures.