5 Time Management Tips from a Remote Intern & College Student
Being a college student can be stressful at times, especially when adding a job or internship to the mix. Time management is one of the most beneficial skills to learn and master during your time in college, so you don’t become overwhelmed. Deadlines, due dates, and exams will quickly take over your life if you don’t learn how to properly manage your time and prioritize what matters most at the moment. During my time at Skillsoft being an intern while also being a full-time student, I’ve learned many useful hacks to managing my time better. Here are five tips that helped me during the process:
1. Daily Planner = Holy Grail. As soon as I started college, I immediately discovered how beneficial having a planner and color pens is. Planners are the best way to map out your daily, weekly, and monthly tasks to ensure you get things done. For each of my classes, I designate a different color pen. On syllabus day, I go through the syllabus and write down every assignment for the semester so I don’t miss any assignments or mix up classes. Once I started my remote internship at Skillsoft in July, I chose a color pen and every day make a to do list and write out all my meeting times. I write my work assignments in order from highest priority to lowest to make sure I get the most important tasks done first. To this day, I don’t understand how I got things done before investing in a planner every year.
2. Set time limits for your tasks. After starting my remote internship, I quickly learned that it was hard for me to keep my focus on the task at hand when there were five other tasks/assignments on my mind. Knowing that you have multiple tasks to fit into a workday can feel daunting at times because you want to make sure everything gets done, and it is done perfectly. So, to keep myself from feeling overwhelmed and help focus on the task at hand, I started working in 20-minute intervals. For example, if I have six tasks to get done for the day, I will start with the highest priority task and set a 20-minute timer. Once that timer goes off, I get up from my desk, stretch and then set another 20-minute timer for that task. If I feel like I needed a break from that task, I will move to the next and repeat the cycle. This helps me stay focus when I am feeling overwhelmed.
3. Minimize distractions (yes, that means NO TikTok). While it is amazing to have the world at your fingertips, it is also your biggest setback when it comes to building strong time management skills. When covid shut down the world and my college classes were moved online, my cell phone usage went through the roof. My screen time went from a weekly average of 8 hours to almost triple the amount. I quickly learned that this was not beneficial for my health or my grades. In order to break this habit, I decided to set time limits on my apps to make sure I am not spending more than 1 hour a day scrolling on TikTok. Starting a remote job, I really have learned to limit how much time I spend on my phone because one minute it’s a 5-minute break scrolling on TikTok, and next thing you know it’s an hour later and you have accomplished nothing. Cellphones and social media are the downfall to productivity, which is why when you are working, studying, or doing homework your best bet is to put your phone away.
4. Establish a routine. A life without some sort of routine is a life of pure chaos. This was probably the most underrated habit I built while learning how to properly manage my time. I am a person of habit, so adding an extra step into my morning routine to help me with my time management was a huge factor when building this skill. Routines keep me grounded even when I feel overwhelmed, so every morning I make myself a cup of tea, stretch, and write down my day in my planner. Making my planner a part of my morning routine was a game changer because it helps me feel productive, but it also gives me an outline of my day. Instead of trying to remember everything off the top of my head, I have it right in front of me written out to refer back to throughout the day.
5. Allow time to relax. As a student taking a full course load and working 30 hours a week, I have learned that none of the work matters if you burn yourself out from not taking the proper amount of time to relax. Even if it something as small as watching an episode of your favorite show or reading a chapter or two of a book, making sure you have time to unwind at the end of the day is an extremely important part of time management and your overall well-being.
Time management is a must-have skill to keep your life organized and productive. Building these time management skills has helped me feel accomplished and happier while balancing my school, work, and social life. So, if you are ever feeling overwhelmed reflect on how you are managing your time and use some of these tips to help you accomplish your goals.
