As promised, here is my post on during-school productivity.
I hope that these tips give you the encouragement to stay on top of your game for the coming week in your school/ university.
I'm currently in my 4th year of college and the tips that I'll be sharing today are the things I've learned during the course of my education. While I haven't mastered all of them, knowing about them has made a huge difference in my life. So here's my sincere effort to pass them on!
1) Prepare for your classes
This does not only mean that you should read the chapers/ notes in advance. That kind of a resource is not always available. If it is, then great, make sure that you take good advantage of that. However my meaning of preparation is physically, mentally and resource-related.
Be mentally prepared for that class. Have an idea about what all is going to happen and prepare your mind for it. More importantly, have all the resources at hand. Pen, paper, highlighters, reference material, calculators....Each class requires you to carry some material. So make sure you are equipped and don't lose time in searching for all those while missing out on an important lecture.
2) Be attentive in class
Be attentive to what the professor is talking about, even if it gets a little boring. I've tried this right from my first year and trust me eventually you reach a point when you are involuntarily attentive. And that feel's so great.
The professor is going to teach all that he/ she can. It's up to you how much you want to take from them. So make sure you are doing yourself justice by being attentive and soaking up all the knowledge that is handed out to you.
3) Get involved!
Many students, mostly due to their shyness or boredom, prefer not to participate in class discussions and don't show their involvement. If you are one of them, use this blog post as a nudge to change that. Not participating is not going to help. Your involvement is going to result into better understanding of the subject for you and you'll be able to get all your doubts cleared right then. Clearing doubts helps in better retention and clarity of information.
4) Make the best of the in-between time
A lot of times we have these odd bits of free time of about 15-20 mins in between classes. I try and use that time either to plan my day and update my bullet journal or to read. A lot of my friends use that time to read the newspaper or go to the library or finish some pending work. These odd bits of time, if used well, can lessen your after-school workload considerably. They can also act as rechargers before the next class begins. So making intentional use of this time always helps!
5) Be clear about your to-dos for the day
A lot of time is wasted by us because we have no clarity of the things we want to do and we just tend to go with the flow of our schedules, not really contributing to it in any fruitful way. A remedy for that is being clear about the things you want to do that day in accordance to your schedule. Be clear of the classes you'll have that day, the assignments that are due, the meetings that are scheduled, the friends you want to meet that day, etc. A good way to keep track of all that in one place is a planner.
6) Be kind to yourself!
The unwritten rule of productivity is that it does not determine your worth. There will be days when you and your friends will not feel like doing anything and woud rather just hang out and talk. It's fine! There will be days when you will be low and will not get anything done in school. It's fine! We cannot stay on top of our game 100% of the time. Give yourself that freedom and don't feel guilty about not being productive.
7) Make memories!
School and college are some of the most significant and life-altering phases of our lives. Its here that we make good friendships, indulge in experiences and take shape as an individual. So have all of those experiences and make the best of it. It's only going to happen to you once, so make sure you give it your best!
I hope that this post was helpful to you in some or the other way. If you think that your friends might benefit from it, share it with them! Let me know if you have any other productivity tips that all of us can benefit from! Have a good, productive week!
Comments