3 Time Management Tips for International Students During COVID-19
Many international students I work with told me that they’ve been having trouble managing their time during COVID-19.
With remote learning, the boundary between school life and personal life has become so blurred, and it’s hard to know when to do what!
Are you having the same struggle? Don’t worry. Here are 3 tips to help you manage your time more effectively!
#1. Determine Your Essential Activities
The essential activities here are technically not quite the same as those you’ve heard months ago when cities/countries were in strict lockdown.
What I mean here is: Think about what activities are important for you to do in order to help you feel balanced and positive about your life.
For some students, it’s important to stay in touch with their friends and know what their friends are up to.
For others, it’s so gratifying to be connected with family and loved ones.
After a loooong day’s school and work, you might want to sit back and watch a show or movie on Netflix!
For some of you who want to stay fit or sharp, regular exercise may be the way to go.
So think about what activities are important for you to incorporate into your weekly schedule, in addition to taking classes and studying.
For example, here are some of my essential activities during COVID-19, in addition to work:
Get a good night’s sleep
Take walks and do activities outside when possible (I take precautions for COVID risks!)
Prepare at least a few nice meals for myself
Do groceries & basic home cleaning on weekends
Hang out with friends in open and low-risk settings
Speak with my family regularly
Sing whenever I can!
#2. Find Your Most Productive Time of the Day
For many students, the morning hours are their most productive time of the day. This is a time when they can focus the best and get things done quickly.
But…not everyone has the same biological clock.
There are students who get really creative and their mind becomes more lucid as the night goes on, when everyone else is already in bed and it’s all quiet…
So think about what kind of biological clock you have. If you have important studies to do or big project to finish, try scheduling them during the hours when you are most productive. Things that appear hard may turn out quite easy for you!
#3. Be Flexible
Be flexible when you try this new method.
Once you start implementing your new schedule, see what works for you and what not. Adjust your new schedule accordingly to make sure it reflects your habits and preferences. That’s right - It’s important to work with your personal quirks, rather than force yourself to change them!
For example, if you need to take a break after working for 30 mins or 60 mins, do schedule a break then. If you’re someone who needs some flexibility in your schedule to make sure you get a big chunk of the work done, do leave enough time for you to work on each task.
“There’s no need to cram your schedule. You’re not running a boot camp! Pay attention to how your body & mind respond to the activities you arrange throughout the day and week. The key here is to play with this as if you were doing an experiment with yourself! ”
These 3 tips have helped many students and professionals I’ve worked with to not just reach their optimal productivity but understand how to better work with their habits and preferences that make them who they are!
Try these tips and let me know how they work for you. You can easily apply them to your daily life during COVID-19 AND when we come out the other side of this pandemic!
About The Author
Fourteen years ago I came to the U.S. from Taiwan and studied in a field that rarely accepted “fresh off the boat” international students from non-English speaking countries. I’m Dr. Vivi Hua, Psy. D. and I help international students learn how to navigate the U.S. educational system and assimilate into American culture so they can succeed academically and socially in their lives and careers!