Between tough classes, assignments, and study time, managing your time can be a true challenge. Add in time with friends, social events, your obligations at home, and extracurricular activities, and things can be even more complicated! Using a planner can provide you with more freedom, flexibility, and independence, while helping to eliminate overscheduling, procrastination, and falling behind in your schoolwork. Managing your schedule doesn’t have to be difficult or overwhelming; using a planner to provide some structure is an easy way that can help you to be better organized and balanced in your life.
There are several types of planners that you can use to manage your time. Different options will help you to make the most out of each day, week, month, and semester. You might benefit from using one type, but often using a combination is more effective. Read on for a little more information about types of planners and how they can help you organize and manage your time.
Whether you’re using a wall calendar, a hard-copy paper planner, or an online time management tool, it’s good to have a way to keep an eye on the big picture of your academic life. One-page planners are great for tracking semester plans and requirements. Using this type of planner allows you to enter all the due dates of your exams, papers, and projects, as well as any events you must attend, so you can see them at a glance. For weekly and daily planning, you can use a different type of planner, like calendars with time blocks. These allow you to block out periods to complete different assignments and tasks, scheduling them according to how much time you estimate each will take. Sometimes, color-coding helps well when using these calendars, so you can differentiate between specific classes, tasks, and other activities.
Some people prefer paper planners, while others find digital options more useful. Those who like paper planners benefit from hand-writing their tasks—the act of writing helps them to better schedule and organize their time. Users of digital planners often point to versatility as the thing they like most. No matter which you choose, having a planner can be the key to being more efficient and effective in your academic life and personal life as well.
If you need assistance with your academic and/or organizational skills, a professional tutor like those at Tots ‘N Tutors can help! Tots ‘N Tutors is a professional mobile tutoring company based in Austin, Texas that offers support to students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade and college. They can help students practice academic skills and grasp concepts more thoroughly. Additionally, the learning guides at Tots ‘N Tutors can help them to hone their study skills and organizational skills, such as time management via planners. Tutors can be essential to many students who need help to learn and live more efficiently and effectively. Contact Tots ‘N Tutors today to talk about meeting individually or in small groups, in person or remotely, to reach your goals.