Time, a Precious Commodity!

Time, who has time today? Students think teachers have lot of time. Teachers think students have lot of time. Dad thinks mom has lot of time. Mom thinks kids have lot of time. I think you have lot of time and you might think I have lot of time to be writing this…. Oh wait; don’t we all have 24 hours a day?!
24 hours: What do we do with them? So, we don’t have time problem; we have time management problem! We want more time to sleep in the morning and we all press the snooze button when the alarm rings (if you keep an alarm in the first place!) We want to watch “5 more mins” of IPL – now that RCB is reaching finals!

During the so called “study holidays”, you take a book with complete determination to finish that chapter. Few lines into the first page, your phone rings. No, it’s not your friend calling you up to chat with you, but she has a doubt. Unfortunately, the phone call doesn’t end with that one doubt – it continues with topics of movies you want to watch after exams, the trips you might be planning, music, IPL, what not until your mom shouts at you. Then you go back to few more lines in the same page and you can’t keep your eyes open anymore! You say to yourself “I can study better if I take a power nap” How long is the power nap? 2 - 3 hours sometimes! It just goes on this way and you really do not know when your day came to an end. When you look back at the entire day (if you care enough to do so, that is) you see nothing has been done. So here I have compiled few tips for time management during exams. Do read and most importantly – implement!

1. Make a To-Do List Every Day.
Put things that are most important at the top and do them first. And don't forget to reward yourself for your accomplishments.
2. Use Spare Minutes Wisely.
When you’re commuting on the bus or train, use the time to get some reading done.
3. It's Okay to Say No.
If your friend asks you to go to a movie on a Thursday night and you have an exam the next morning, realize that it's okay to say no. Keep your short- and long-term priorities in mind.
4. Find the Right Time.
You'll work more efficiently if you figure out when you do your best work. For example, if your brain handles math better in the afternoon, don't wait to do it until late at night.
5. Review Your Notes Every Day.
Reviewing helps you reinforce what you've learned, so you need less time to study one day before the exam.
6. Get a Good Night's Sleep.
Your brain needs rest to perform at its peak. Lack of sleep makes the day seem longer and your tasks seem more difficult.
7. Communicate Your Schedule to Others.
If phone calls or text messages are proving to be a distraction, tell your friends that you are only available at certain times of day and not to expect a response at other times.
8. Don't Waste Time Agonizing.
Instead of agonizing and procrastinating, just do it. Wasting an entire evening worrying about something that you're supposed to be doing is not productive, and can increase your stress.

If you just follow the above with enough discipline, you’ll be able to rock your exams with just 5-6 hrs of studies per day. You have the remaining time to use it as you wish. All the best folks! Looking forward to your comments :)