So the college year begins in a few weeks and you’re not sure whether you should dorm or rent…join the club! I feel like...
Being a student is hard! Like riding a unicycle on a rope while juggling hard. Along with classes, we also have assignments, extracurricular activities, exams, chores, and our social lives vying for our attention. And there are those of us who also have children to care for. It’s a lot!
That’s why you need to develop a stable productivity routine to maximize your time.
Our productive energy is one of our most precious commodities, and we must learn to allocate it to our advantage as much as possible. Productivity systems are your secret weapon to help you maintain focus, increase efficiency, and stay organized daily. The thing is, with so many of them available, choosing the right one (or choosing which ones to customize and combine) can be equated to finding a needle in a haystack.
Luckily, below you’ll find a few of the most popular systems used by people worldwide and some tips on selecting the best system for your needs.
Tips on selecting the best productivity system for your personalized journey
1) Reflect- Take some time to consider yourself and your life. What are your strengths? Weaknesses? What are you trying to achieve? Knowing yourself is the only way to know what system would work for you.
2) Experiment- Trial and error is the key to success in everything. Don’t be afraid to try one system and switch to another if it doesn’t work. What ultimately matters is you and your time, if it’s not working, cut your losses and move on.
3) Ensure you understand the basics- Each framework has its own techniques and principles for you to familiarize yourself with. Doing so will ensure you experience the full effects of each system and help you get the best results.
4) Consider your tool preferences- Everyone works differently and prefers different mediums. Consider whether you prefer digital or paper-based systems or even a combination of both. It ultimately depends on your own inclinations.
5) Evaluate your tolerance for complexity- Some productivity systems are simple and straightforward while others can be quite detailed and require much more effort to maintain. Again, choose what’s best for you!
6) Consider its scalability- Consider whether the system is adaptable to different aspects of your life including your work and personal commitments. Assess how well it integrates with your existing routines and habits and whether it fits seamlessly into your life and different environments. In this case, it really should be a one-size-fits-all!
Here are the best productivity frameworks to help you increase your productivity…
The Pomodoro technique
If you’re one to be easily distracted, the Pomodoro technique might be your savior. It’s a method that involves segmenting your work into manageable 25-minute sessions called Pomodoros. The first 3 Pomodoros are followed by short breaks of 5 minutes while the fourth is usually followed by a half-hour break. The Pomodoro Technique is designed to prevent burnout and minimize the overwhelm we naturally feel when faced with large, important tasks. If you’re someone who’s prone to procrastination, I highly recommend you try this method! You’ll be surprised how convincing “It’s only 25 minutes” can be when you have to tackle the hard tasks you’ve been putting off…
The Eisenhower Matrix
The Eisenhower Matrix is a simple task prioritization system modelled after former U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower. It involves the separation of tasks based on their urgency and importance and will help you figure out what needs your immediate attention and what can wait. In practice, a typical matrix has four columns: Urgent and Important, Urgent and Not Important, Important and Not Urgent, and finally, Not Important and Not Urgent (see graphic below).
When tasks are divided using this method, it helps you to prioritize them in a structured manner and to allocate your time efficiently. This is especially helpful for you as a college student because it can be easily adapted for assignments and just about any other task you’ll need to get done. (Pro tip: Combine this with the Pomodoro technique; you’ll be surprised how much you get done)
Time Blocking
Arguably the easiest method on this list to implement, time blocking is more of an art than a science. It involves reserving specific periods for specific tasks and objectives. As students, our days usually consist of different time blocks for various activities such as classes and study periods, which means this method is ideal for our use. It’s important to note, however, that this system may not be applicable in other facets of your life and may be more effective when combined with other systems such as the Eisenhower matrix.
Getting Things Done Method
Developed by Mr. David Allen the Getting Things Done productivity system is a method of streamlining and dismantling tasks into small manageable steps to make them less intimidating for you to complete. To understand how this method can be effective, you must first understand how it works. This process in its basest form involves 5 steps; capture, clarify, organize, review, and engage.
The capture stage is where you collect information about all your commitments and outstanding tasks; think To-do lists.
Clarifying involves breaking tasks into smaller objectives. Your goal with this step is to answer 3 questions: What? Why? And How?
The organization phase involves the streamlining and grouping of related tasks in order to improve clarity and provide structure to your actions. A category, for example, could be ‘Extracurriculars’ where you put any activity that is related to these activities.
Reviewing involves updating your To-do list with tasks to ensure you are on top of all the things you need to do.
The final stage, Engage, is the act of completing the necessary tasks as set out in the previous stages.
The Eat-the-Frog Method
What if instead of putting off that dissertation you did it before everything else? And those Chemistry labs? That is the basic idea behind the Eat-the-Frog Method, and I most certainly can see its appeal. This method involves tackling the hardest tasks first when your energy levels and focus are at their highest. The idea is that by ‘eating the frog’ ie completing the hardest tasks first, you’ll have the momentum and self-confidence to complete all other minor tasks, or at the very least would’ve put your best foot forward in the completion of your major objectives.
And there you have it! Remember that you can curate your own system to fit your needs using some versions of these systems. The Eisenhower matrix and the Pomodoro technique work very well together and are huge parts of my own productivity system. Don’t be afraid to mix and match. Know that your goal is to maximize your time and efficiency and don’t be afraid to make tweaks along the way.
