Starting a business while also going to college is not for the faint of heart, and time-management skills for student founders go far beyond a special talent – sometimes, they are the difference between success and failure. Therefore, here are five productivity hacks to keep your classwork and startup on track.
1. Set Clear, Achievable Goals
Setting goals is essential, but it is equally important to make them realistic. Your big walks in life should break down into small steps. Use the SMART goal-setting framework. SMART goals are objectives set with specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound criteria to ensure clear and reachable outcomes. This way, you can maintain a clear focus and have time reviews that let you celebrate small victories, keeping you motivated and winning against your own inner devil.
2. Automate and Delegate
Automate wherever you can. There are a bunch of tools that should automate parts of your business and your study life. Scheduling tools for social media, scheduled bill payment, etc., or project management software for keeping tasks on track. In the same vein, delegate. With your startup or group assignments, delegate trust. Bring on other people who handle parts of the business or parts of group project assignments in your study. Hire Ukwritings if you need academic help. They are a professional essay writing service that will pick up your slack when your founder responsibilities get in the way.
3. Embrace the Power of ‘No’
As a student founder, you have limited resources — time being chief among them. More than simply refusing a Friday night out, learning to say ‘no’ is about becoming choosier about the actions that advance your goals. Choose only what moves your startup and schoolwork forward. After all, as a famous quote by Josh Billings goes, “Half of the troubles of this life can be traced to saying yes too quickly and not saying no soon enough”.
4. Master Your Calendar
Plan your day carefully. As the student founder, you might be scheduled for classes in the morning and a series of business meetings in the afternoon. Use digital calendars such as these:
- Google Calendar: Widely used for its simplicity and integration with other Google services, making it ideal for personal and professional use.
- Outlook Calendar: Part of the Microsoft Office suite, it’s favored in corporate environments for its robust features and integration with email.
- Apple Calendar: Perfect for users within the Apple ecosystem, it syncs seamlessly across all Apple devices, such as iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
- Cozi: A family-oriented calendar app that helps manage everyone’s schedules, appointments, and activities, making it great for household planning.
Make your calendar work for you by setting periods of fixed-time activities (such as classes and meetings) and blocks of flexible activities (such as study time and business planning). Include buffer times for travel to and from meetings and classes, plus time for the unexpected. Perhaps most importantly, be sure that you make time for breaks by adding them to your calendar, too. Regular short breaks can be particularly effective both for keeping creative juices flowing and for sustaining your psyche and productivity.
5. Prioritize Health and Wellness
A physically and mentally fit brain performs better than a fried brain. Here’s how you can prioritize your health as a student:
| Maintain a Balanced Diet | Eating various nutritious foods fuels your body and brain, enhancing your energy levels and concentration for studying. |
| Regular Exercise | Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week. Activities like walking, jogging, or yoga can reduce stress and boost your mood. |
| Adequate Sleep | According to research, students need 7-9 hours of sleep each night to improve memory, mood, and cognitive function. |
| Stay Hydrated | Drinking plenty of water throughout the day can increase energy and help maintain focus during long study sessions. |
| Mental Health Breaks | Take short breaks during study time to relax and clear your mind. Engage in activities you enjoy, like reading for pleasure or meeting up with friends, to manage stress effectively. |
Balancing Books and Business
Running a student startup is like riding a bike up a hill: it’s hard but possible. Besides damming the flood of ‘not-so-necessary’ tasks, automatizing repetitive chores, setting realistic goals, structuring your schedule, and taking care of yourself, productivity also comes into play when dealing with academia and entrepreneurship. Actually, productive is not about spending each minute of the day working but, instead, about making the most of those minutes when we do work. So, avail yourself of these hacks, use your time and other resources wisely, and see your startup blossom into a fruitful business!
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