Time management means fixation of priorities according to time. Time management comprises following

1. Allocation of time against activities.
2. What should be done first and what should be done second?
3. How much time should be given to a task according to its importance and nature?
4. What is the right time for a task?
5. Which tasks should be avoided in order to save time or to indentify the activities which lead to wastage of time?

Importance of Time Management

Time management is essential in every field of life because time is the precious recourse one has to accomplish a task. A very single moment which passed once will never come back to be availed. Time management helps you do your task in time and utilize your time more productively. It helps you to identify the useless activities which can be avoided and time can be saved. It helps you give proper time to a task and perform the task more efficiently.

Time Management for students.

Time is a major source for a student. A student does a lot of activities in his daily routine, out of which some (study) are related to his career, some (having food) are essential for his life and some (games etc) are for entertainment or physical fitness. Still some activities have no use and just waste time. Similarly if the activities for entertainment exceeds than enough it wastes the time of a student like using internet (chatting and emails for recreation) for hours, playing games for hours, watching movies for hours or listening to music for hours. Such activities are called “distracters” which distract one from one’s real purpose.

Games and physical exercise are important for a student because it refreshes his mind and it keeps him physically and mentally fit but games’ time should not exceeded than sufficient that it may waste your time.

No one wastes time intentionally. Time is always wasted in insensible way that’s why a student does not feel when he wastes time but he realizes in the days of exam. So it is better to utilize the present time more effectively than crying over past in future.

If a student wastes time it means he is careless about his study or he does not know how to manage time. So you should know about the importance of time and should be particular about it. You should learn how to manage time.

How to manage time for study?

As stated in the beginning of this topic that time management comprises various steps. Time management is not only to allocate time against different subjects but also to identify right time for each such subject, how much time should be given to different subject and to identify the distracters which become causes of wastage of time.
Take a pen and sheet. Write all the activities you do in your daily routine. Calculate how much time you have for your study other than your college (or school) and other activities. Determine how much time a subject can take in your total study time. See that which subject need more time.

Good memory is a necessary attribute brilliant students. Students have to learn as well as memorize things to reproduce these things in their own words in examination. It should be noted that by memorizing I never mean cramming. Student should always avoid cramming because it puts end to creativity. He should understand and learn in a way that he can use that learning himself. But still a part of study needs to be memorized. A science student has to understand scientific processes in their science books as well as make sketch of steps involved in these steps. Such learning requires good memory.  Let me tell you how to improve your memory.

Associate one information with other information.

When you study and you pick a new information, associate it with another formation, which you have already learnt. Making such relation between same information will help you remember things easily.

Make image of data in your mind.

Try to make a sketch of information in your mind. When you read something, think for a while draw its picture in your mind. In this way you transform data into memorable image.

For example, you study “hydrologic cycle” it process telling you how waters re-cycle to soil. It is a lengthy process in which water, either directly from soil surface or after plants absorbs through roots and transpire it into atmosphere,   converts to vapours. Vapours condense into clouds and come back to soil in form of rain. You can keep this process by making a sketch (image) of this process in you mind. It is just an example.

Make short formulae or short sentences for complex data.

It is a nice tactic if you have to memorize complex data or many steps involved in a process in its sequence. In this way, you have to make a short word or sentence contain first alphabets of each idea.

Example 1
Suppose you study trigonometry, there are complex formulae, which can confuse you in exam if you don’t memorize them. See these formulae given below.

      Sin = Perpendicular/Hypotenuse
      Cos = Base/Hypotenuse
      Tan = Perpendicular/Base

Make a sentence for it to memorize it easily, we make a sentence “some people have curly black hair through properly brushing”

The first three words in this sentence are for first formula, next three words in sentence are for second formula and last three words in sentence  are for last formula.

See first three words of sentence
Some People have: first alphabets of these three words are S, P H. where “S” stand for Sin, “P” for perpendicular and “H” for Hypotenuse.. it make first formula,
Sin = Perpendicular/Hypotenuse

Next three words.
Curly black hair: first alphabets of these three words are C, B, H. where “C” stands Cos, “B” for base and “H” for hypotenuse and it makes 2nd formula
Cos  = Base/Hypotenuse

Last three words.
Through Properly brushing: It give us three alphabets T, P and B. where “T” stands for Tan, “P” stands for perpendicular and “B” for base. It make the 3rd formula
Tan  = Perpendicular/Base

Example 2
you have to memorize the name of four phases of MITOSIS (cell division process) in its right sequence which are1-Prophase, 2-Metaphase, 3-Anaphase, and 4-Telophase. Make a word or two words like “PMA Test” (a test for army selection). From this word “P” stands for Prophase, M stands for Metaphase and “T” (first alphabet of test) stands for Telophase.

Reviewing.

If you study a topic and forget this topic after some days. Don’t worry it is common. You should review your study again and again to remember it for long time. If you study in morning, it is good to you review it in night. You should at least review a topic after every week.

Reading aloud and writing.

Some students remember things by reading aloud or writing the study stuff. Practice it, it can help you.

Mental Exercise.

Try mental exercise daily. It sharpens your mind. It strengthens neural connections in your brain. There are different activities by which you can exercise your brain. Like doing difficult arithmetic calculations with help of your mind, puzzle games, solving a questionnaire where you have to use your brain. The more you use your brain the better it is.

Nutrients for brain. 

         Take nutrients which are rich in .good for brain. Nutrient having antioxidant like vitamin C, and E and beta carotene, vitamins B, omega-3 fatty acids and folic acid etc, are good for brain. Add 3 to 5 Almonds in one glass milk, keep it for 5 to 6 minutes and drink it daily, it is good for mental health. Apple juice is also good for sharpening brain.

Think and accept you can remember.

Never say you can’t remember. You can remember only if you say that you can remember and accept this mentally.

Try to get full sleep.

Take at least six hour rest for refreshment and relaxation of your mind so that your mind can work more efficiently.

Take regular exercise.

Brain takes it nutrients from blood for functioning properly. Physical exercise speeds up blood flow to brain and brain gets well nourished as well as brain gets rid of waste products. Physical exercise is necessary for enhancing memory power.

Group discussion on study is essential for effective learning. In group discussion learning is shared and student participating in discussion are benefitted.

When you study a topic, discuss it with your classmates in college. Tell your classmates or friend that you will discuss about a particular topic tomorrow so that they can prepare the topic for tomorrow’s discussion. In discussion every student has his turn to talk. Try to be polite and friendly in discussion. Participating in group discussion has the many benefits. Let me explain some of the main benefits

It enhances your learning – You learn more.

               Your friend may have learnt a topic  well comparatively. He may have picked up some important points from the topic which you may have not. When you discuss it with him, you learn these points as well. Similarly you may have learnt some points in a topic which he may have missed, so he learns it in discussion. In this way the learning is shared and you are benefitted.

Discussion generates good questions – helps in preparation for exam.

When you discusses about a topic with your friend in group, you can freely ask any question which you have in your mind about any point in the topic and you get the answer. Similarly they ask questions.
Different minds discussing about a topic, generates good questions and try to find their answers. These are the conceptual questions which are asked in the exams. In this way, Group discussion helps in preparation for exams by generating conceptual question and finding their answers.

It shows you your weakness – it improves you.

Until you don’t know about your weaknesses, you cannot improve. In group discussion you come to know that in which areas you are weak and you need to focus more on them to improve.

It rectifies your mistakes.

You may learn something wrong. You may make a wrong concept about a topic which you think is correct. When you share it in discussion, you come to know that it is wrong. In this way, your wrong concept are rectified. If you don’t discusses it group, you may write this wrong concept even in exam and get less marks for it.

It helps you on “how to study and how to make preparation for exam”.

While discussing on a topic, inspired from a student you ask him how he studies or how he make preparation for exam?. In this way, you improve your study method or preparation method.

It helps for oral exams – It improves your communication skills.

By participating in group discussions you can improve your communication skills. In this way it prepares you for oral exams and interviews as well.

The first institution of a child where he learns is his home. A child passes most of his time with his parents and learns from his parents and the environment provided to him by his parents in home. Parents play a vital role in the education of their child, whatever child’s age is, (either he read in college or in school). If parents pay attention to their children, they make more scholastic achievements than those who are ignored. If parents take care of following things, they can improve the education of their children.

Give more time to your children.

Spare time in your busy routine, for your children. If you keep on ignoring your children, it will make them feel irresponsible and they will lose interest in study.

spend time with your children as much as possible and discuss with them about their studies daily. Ask them daily, what did they read in school or college today. Help them in their studies, if possible. Talk to them about the how can they improve. Make them aware  of the importance of study in their life. By this way, children start taking interest in their studies and they do well in exam.

If you do not give them time you cannot expect that they well do well in their academics.

Provide them a supportive environment in home.

Home environment affects a student life a lot. Create a loving environment having good relationships among all family members which has a good impact on the mind of your children so that they can study well. If the environment of home stresses children, they will not be able to concentrate on their studies.

Create a supportive and educational environment in home. Don’t do such activities which can absorb the attention of your children while they study like turn off television when they study. Provide them a quiet place for study where they can study with more concentration and interest. Paste some charts or tables (having study material) on the walls of home.

Encourage your children.

Appreciate if they do well in exam and if they get less grades encourage them for hard work. By appreciating them for their achievements in exam, they start to struggle more to get more appreciation. Encouraging them if they fail or get less marks enables them to stand again and start with new determination.

Make link with the school or college teachers of your children.

Visit their school college once a week and ask the relevant teacher about the studies of your children. It will give you the idea about the study of your children. You come to know about the weakness of your children and then try to improve accordingly. If you ask the their teacher, your children will study whole heartedly

Discuss with your children about their problems.

Your children may have some problems which hinder their study. Ask your children if they have some problems and try to solve their problem. Be friendly while discussing with them about their problems so that they can discuss openly.

Keep watch on the activities of your children.

                                                            Have watch on the daily activities of your children and see they may not be utilizing their energy and time in un-necessary activities. They may not be wasting time in playing game or watching movies for a lot of time. Never suspect on your children but have watch on their activities in a way so that they may not feel that you are suspecting on them.

Improve the study habits of your children.

                                                            Advise your children about how to develop study habits. Make your children sleep in time and get up early in the morning. Make them sit for study if they do not, so that they develop the study habit. Show them the tips for good study and preparation for exam. Stop them from useless activities.

Your behavior while advising them

You should have balance in your love and strictness to your children. Have love while advising your children for studies Have authoritative behavior while prohibiting them from some things. Never beat them but strictly prohibit them from wasting time or unnecessary activities or wrong manners etc so that can take it serious and follow it.

✪ Make sure your child has a quiet, well-lit place to do homework. Avoid having your child do homework with the television on or in places with other distractions, such as people coming and going.

✪ Make sure the materials your child needs, such as paper, pencils and a dictionary, are available. Ask your child if special materials will be needed for some projects and get them in advance.

✪ Help your child with time management. Establish a set time each day for doing homework. Don‘t let your child leave homework until just before bedtime. Think about using a weekend morning or afternoon for working on big projects, especially if the project involves getting together with classmates.

✪ Be positive about homework. Tell your child how important school is. The attitude you express about homework will be the attitude your child acquires.

✪ When your child does homework, you do homework. Show your child that the skills they are learning are related to things you do as an adult. If your child is reading, you read too. If your child is doing math, balance your checkbook.

✪ When your child asks for help, provide guidance, not answers. Giving answers means your child will not learn the material. Too much help teaches your child that when the going gets rough, someone will do the work for him or her.

✪ When the teacher asks that you play a role in homework, do it. Cooperate with the teacher. It shows your child that the school and home are a team. Follow the directions given by the teacher.

✪ If homework is meant to be done by your child alone, stay away. Too much parent involvement can prevent homework from having some positive effects. Homework is a great way for kids to develop independent, lifelong learning skills.

✪ Stay informed. Talk with your child‘s teacher. Make sure you know the purpose of homework and what your child‘s class rules are.

✪ Help your child figure out what is hard homework and what is easy homework. Have your child do the hard work first. This will mean he will be most alert when facing the biggest challenges. Easy material will seem to go fast when fatigue begins to set in.

LEVEL 0 Friendship—Momentary Playmates: “I Want It My Way”  (Approximate ages: 3-6 years)

Children at this stage view friends as momentary playmates, and their friendships are all about having fun together. Their friends are kids who are conveniently nearby, and who do the same things they like to do.

Children at this stage have very limited ability to see other perspectives. They assume that other children think the same way they do, so they tend to get very upset when they find out that a playmate has a different opinion.

Children in the  “I Want It My Way” stage like the idea of having friends, and they definitely have preferences for some peers over others, but they’re not so good at being reliable friends. For instance, three-year-olds might say, “You’re not my friend today!” if they just feel like doing something other than what their friend wants to do.

Despite the day-to-day or moment-to-moment variations in how friendly they act, preschoolers do show some continuity in their friendships. One study found that two-thirds of preschoolers who claimed each other as friends were still friends four to six months later.

LEVEL 1 Friendship—One-Way Assistance: “What’s In It For Me?”  (Approximate ages: 5-9 years)

At this level, children understand that friendship goes beyond whatever their current activity is, but they still think in very pragmatic terms. They define friends as children who do nice things for them—such as sharing a treat, saving them a seat on the bus, or giving them nice presents—but they don’t really think about what they themselves contribute to the friendship.

Children at this level care a lot about friendship. They may even put up with a not-so-nice friend, just so they can have a friend. They also may try to use friendship as a bargaining chip, saying things like “I’ll be your friend if you do this!” or “I won’t be your friend if you do that!”

LEVEL 2 Friendship—Two-Way, Fair Weather “By the Rules”  (Approximate ages: 7-12 years)

Six- to twelve-year-old children are able to consider a friend’s perspective in addition to their own, but not at the same time. So what this means is that they understand turn taking, but they can’t really step back and get an observer’s perspective that would allow them to see patterns of interaction in their relationships.

At this stage, children are very concerned about fairness and reciprocity, but they think about these in a very rigid, quid pro quo way. So, if they do something nice for a friend, they expect that friend to do something nice for them at the next opportunity. If this doesn’t happen, the friendship is likely to fall apart.

Children in the “By the Rules” stage tend to be very judgmental of both themselves and others. They evaluate themselves harshly, the way they think other people do. So, they say things like, “No one will like me because of my stupid haircut!” They tend to be jealous, and they’re very concerned with fitting in by being exactly the same as everyone else.

Children at this stage often invent “secret clubs.” These involve elaborate rules and lots of discussion about who is or isn’t included as a member, but they tend to be short-lived.

LEVEL 3 Friendship—Intimate, Mutually Shared Relationships: “Caring and Sharing”  (Approximate ages: 8-15 years)

At this stage, friends help each other solve problems and confide thoughts and feelings that they don’t share with anyone else. They know how to compromise, and they do kind things for each other without “keeping score,” because they genuinely care about each other’s happiness.

For some children, this is also the “Joined at the Hip” stage. Girls, more often than boys, may be best friends and expect each other to do everything together. They feel deeply betrayed if a best friend chooses to be with another child.

LEVEL 4 Friendship—Mature Friendship: “Friends Through Thick and Thin”  (Approximate ages: 12 years and up)

At this stage, children place a high value on emotional closeness with friends. They can accept and even appreciate differences between themselves and their friends. They’re also not as possessive, so they’re less likely to feel threatened if their friends have other relationships. Mature friendship emphasizes trust and support and remaining close over time, despite separations.

Selman originally proposed that later levels replace earlier ways of thinking, but it’s probably more accurate to say that the more mature levels expand upon earlier perspectives, adding new and deeper layers of understanding. As adults, we value deeply intimate, on-going relationships, but we also like to have fun with our friends, and we appreciate it if they do nice things for us.  We also have different kinds of relationships, including both close and casual friends.

Some researchers have criticized Selman’s friendship framework because it’s based on interviews, so it’s limited by what children can tell us. If we observe what children actually do in social situations, it’s clear that friendships don’t just burst out of nowhere at the age of three.

– Children as young as six months get excited about seeing a peer. They smile and make noises to try to get the other baby’s attention, and they might even crawl over to get close to a peer, but they tend to treat peers as toys to explore.

– Twelve to 18-month old toddlers show noticeable preferences for certain peers. They can play simple games like imitating each other or peek-a-boo, which shows that they have at least some rudimentary ability to understand another person’s perspective.

– Two- and three year olds can sometimes be touchingly kind to each other. For example, if they see a friend crying, they might try to comfort that friend by offering a special blanket. This shows that very young children aren’t all about self-interest.

Concentration on work is important in all sphere of life. Effective study is only possible if you study with full attention throwing off mind all the irrelevant thoughts which interrupt in the process of learning. Concentration means to throw off mind all unnecessary thoughts and converge all the mental capabilities on a point. Normally the rays of sun do not burn a paper, because these rays are dispersed but if the rays of sun are converged on paper with the help of lens, it burns the paper at once. Similarly converging your mental capabilities enables productive study – the power of concentration.

These are the tips to improve power of concentration.

Try to get full sleep.

Take at least six hour rest for refreshment and relaxation of your mind. A fresh mind can concentrate more easily.

Take regular exercise.

Brain takes its nutrients from blood for functioning properly. Physical exercise speeds up blood circulation to brain and brain gets well nourished as well as brain gets rid of waste products. Physical exercise is necessary for enhancing power of concentration.

Study in a place with no or less distractions.

Your study place should be free from such things which may absorb your attention, i.e television, music, changing color bulbs, maps etc. Similarly study in quiet place free from sound distractions.

Avoid multi-tasking.

While you study avoid playing with other things. Like you study as well as texting to friends on cell phone or making hair styles or one eye on television and one eye on book. Similarly study one subject in one time.

Have free mind.

Throw off your mind all the irrelevant thoughts while you study. If you are obsessed by a certain idea, try to find a solution to your problem first. Stress makes it difficult to concentrate.

Fixation of priorities.

Fixation of priorities, what should be done first and what should be done next, is very important for having full concentration in your work. If you don’t fix your priorities and work haphazardly, it is more likely you start thinking while doing one task “shouldn’t I do the other task first as that is more important”. This thought will not let you work with concentration. Make time-table for your subject and follow it.

Take short breaks in long study.

If you study for a long time, you get bore and can’t maintain concentration on work. You should refresh your mind by taking short breaks to maintain your concentration on study.

Have interest in your study.

Lack of motivation and interest leads to boredom and dividend attention so develop your interest in your studies.

Have good breakfast.

Your breakfast should contain items with high protein content, carbohydrates and low sugar content. When you get up from sleep, have good diet though normally you should take light diet.

Don’t take too much tea or coffee.

              Tea or coffee has caffeine that gives you more strength for sometime but soon leaves you sluggish.

Concentration Exercises.

            There some exercises which improve your power of concentration i.e. yoga, self-hypnosis, looking at a round spot on wall with full attention etc. There are books on these things you can study.