How to Manage a Writing Schedule as a Busy Student
As a busy student, you may often find it daunting to complete the various assignments you might have. This is due to the fact that you are ordinarily confronted with uncountable assignments from the various course instructors. The end result, which you badly often want to avoid, is the failure to meet the various deadlines.
You ought not to despair though. It is still possible for you to beat these deadlines and do a satisfactory job at the same time. This can only happen if you know how to go about the business well. We are going to aid you in confronting this particular problem here under.
Table of Content
- 1 HOW TO MANAGE A WRITING SCHEDULE AS A BUSY STUDENT
- 1.1 #1: Be Proactive
- 1.2 #2: Prioritize your Writing Tasks
- 1.3 #3: Set Realistic Goals and Deadlines
- 1.4 #4: Draft a Timetable
- 1.5 #5: Maintain a High Degree of Flexibility
- 1.6 #6: Invoke the Assistance and Companionship of the Faculty
- 1.7 #7: Establish a Reliable Routine
- 1.8 #8: Operate a Healthy Work-life Balance
- 1.9 #9: Delegate or Outsource some Writing Tasks
- 1.10 #10: Make use of Relevant Online Resources
HOW TO MANAGE A WRITING SCHEDULE AS A BUSY STUDENT
#1: Be Proactive
Do not wait for problems to arise before tackling them. You need to be proactive in your approach to the various writing tasks. Anticipate the tasks beforehand and proceed to make appropriate arrangements for them.
To do this, you should identify those courses of study in which you will most likely receive writing tasks. Go deeper and find out the specific units which might require the writing tasks. Create a preliminary to-do list with some specific timeframes within which those tasks might be due.
#2: Prioritize your Writing Tasks
You thereafter have to prioritize the various writing tasks. This means ordering those tasks in terms of significance. Always start with the lighter tasks and finish off with the heavier ones. Be mindful of the deadlines as you make such an order.
It is not uncommon for heavier tasks to be due at an earlier date than a lighter task. If possible, assign some realistic durations against those tasks. It is within these durations that you will often have to write those tasks. Needless to say, lighter tasks should be assigned shorter durations and vice versa.
#3: Set Realistic Goals and Deadlines
You now have to set realistic goals and deadlines. These goals basically spell out the total amount of time you intend to spend on each writing assignment. They should also go a long way in determining just when each task might be due.
While setting these goals and deadlines, be mindful of other unforeseen circumstances. These include the power blackouts, medical visits, and other forms of inconveniences. This is to prevent falling behind schedule or being too confused as to the way forward if and when those circumstances eventually arise.
#4: Draft a Timetable
After prioritizing the tasks and setting the various goals and schedules, you now have to draft a relevant timetable. This timetable is basically a visual presentation of the various tasks you might have to tackle as well as a clear schedule within which to accomplish them.
You definitely have to make numerous copies and pin them wherever you might be while on the compass. These include your room, class, and home. By being exposed to these timetables, you get to keep pace with your expectations at any given time. You also reduce the likelihood of missing the deadlines.
#5: Maintain a High Degree of Flexibility
Chances are that things might not normally turn out to be how you expected them to be in the first place. It is because of this that you have to maintain a fair degree of flexibility at all times. You have to be willing to adjust and accommodate circumstances as they arise.
On the same note, you must also be willing to make appropriate adjustments to care for those circumstances which you probably were not seeing or anticipating before. This will prevent unnecessary frictions and frustrations that may arise as you undertake your writing tasks.
#6: Invoke the Assistance and Companionship of the Faculty
Needless to say, you have to invoke the assistance and companionship of the faculty throughout the writing task. This is particularly necessary if you handle technical writing which requires a great degree of precision. Involve the faculty from scratch to finish.
Let them offer you appropriate guidance whenever you get stuck also. Always call or text them whenever you are in doubt. Do not shy away from seeking time extensions if you have a feeling that you are unable to complete the various assignments in time.
#7: Establish a Reliable Routine
Most writing tasks are similar in shapes and forms. They might differ in their final scripts and actual texts, but the methods used to undertake them remain pretty much the same. To handle such tasks conveniently and repeatedly, you might have to establish a routine.
A routine is basically a template which you use to perform the exact chore over and over again. It saves you time as it negates the need to start out from scratch every quite often. A routine also helps in identifying any weaknesses which might arise easily.
#8: Operate a Healthy Work-life Balance
You should always resist the temptation of overworking yourself. For this reason, you have to operate a healthy work-life balance. This is to mean that you have to set aside some ample time to rest or relax in between any two consecutive writing assignments.
By adopting such an approach, you get to give your brain and mental faculties enough time to recuperate. This leads to minimized fatigue and the attendant confusions that do come along. The end result is a fruitful and more productive life on the whole.
#9: Delegate or Outsource some Writing Tasks
In case you have too many tasks to handle at a time, you might consider delegating whole or portions of it. This is to save you a bit of time and ensure a steady quality of the output. You might want to look out for some reliable essay writing service to help you out.
Alternatively, you might also want to bring in a personal mentor, coach or supervisor to expedite the process of writing. Be careful though not to abuse this leeway. You might end up not grasping the entire content as the need should be.
#10: Make use of Relevant Online Resources
Some online resources do exist to help you in your writing journey. Any.do, Remember the Milk, and Wunderlist will aid you in creating and managing lists. RescueTime, Toggl, and Freedom will increase your productivity. Lastly, the SMART goals and The Balance will aid you in setting smart goals. You may consider seeking their assistance and intervention as you go about the business of writing your tasks.
CONCLUSION
Now that you have known the various ways and means of managing your writing schedules as a busy student, why don’t you go ahead and make use of them? It is not enough to just know about them. You definitely want to stay ahead of your peers in class and make the most of these techniques. All the best as you contemplate making the crucial first step in securing their advantages!