Succeeding at college comes down to more than just your natural intellect. If you don't keep a good schedule, your grades are bound to suffer. Missed deadlines or work completed in a hurry will do swift and serious damage to your academic reputation. Fortunately, there are several widely available tools to help you remain productive in college. Here are some tips for meeting all of your college commitments in an efficient and organized manner.
1. Use FocusList to Stay on Track
College students usually have a dozen or more balls in the air at once, making time management a key ingredient to success. FocusList is a helpful app that lets you block time for daily tasks. It implements the Pomodoro technique, which means you will work on a task for 25 minutes, take a 5-minute break, and then repeat.
2. Manage Your Energy as Well as Time
Whether you're writing an important paper or preparing for finals, time is (metaphorical) money. But you must also pay attention to your energy spikes. Don't force yourself to get up early and work for three hours if you are always more motivated in the evening. Try working at a few different times and figure out when you get the most done. Then, maximize your productivity by scheduling important tasks for the hours when you are most energetic and creative.
3. Block Out Distractions
Even with the best of intentions, you can lose loads of productivity if you don't cancel out surrounding noise and other distractions. Thanks to the bounty of smart devices in the world -- drowning out outside stimuli is becoming more and more difficult. You may go to check your social media page and suddenly look up and realize you've lost 20 minutes. Utilize a browser extension such as SiteBlock, which lets you block yourself from accessing a certain site for a specified amount of time. For instance, you can block yourself from visiting Twitter for two hours.
4. Increase Your Mindfulness with Meditation
Having a mind at peace makes it easier to be productive. Download one of the top meditation apps today, and get started with a meditation routine. You don't have to be well versed in how to quiet your mind to get started. Many meditation apps offer a guided option, so all you have to do is follow along and breathe easy for 20 minutes or so. Break out your meditation app before you head to the library to get a big project done, or start your day with a meditative state so your mind is focused before your first class.
5. Download Scanbot to Get Organized
Keeping your paperwork organized is crucial to remaining productive. If you waste 30 minutes looking for a syllabus, it's hard to get re-focused. With an app like Scanbot, you can take a photo of every hard copy and save them in one place. You can also scan receipts, community flyers, or anything else that helps you schedule your time.
Remaining productive in college frees up more time for you to think about how to have fun. After all, your hard work deserves a reward. Contact Boro today to find out more about our student car and personal loans. You don't need an SSN or credit history. Once you have a loan, taking a break via road trip in between midterms and finals.