Making time visible for students is so important for their success at school and into the future. For most students having time visible can make them feel less anxious, take away the worry about making sure they remember to complete everything and ensure they hand their work in on time.
Students often think that they don’t have much to do and that they can remember it all in their heads. Yes this can be true for some but invariably they don’t have all their tasks as clearly in their head as they think they do.
Most students also live in the “now” and homework/assignments are seen as a future thing (“the not now“) that needs to be 
done. The areas of the brain that are responsible for time management are not often developed fully in students until their mid 20’s. Unfortunately this means that many students don’t often utilise their time very well and it is not until the last minute, sometimes a few days before or the day before, when they realise they actually have work to do and hand in. When this happens it is often rushed and not necessarily their best work either.
I have come across this issue nearly everyday in the past few years when working with students and from discussions with parents. Believe me it can take some convincing to get students to use planners, diaries, Apps, a notebook or even a simple weekly study chart but for those that do the difference is amazing.
It really doesn’t matter what a student chooses to use in order to make time visible – it is the fact that they make time visible that is important. When a student actually uses a planner to plan out homework, an assignment or study/revision then they actually make the time visible to them. This is much better to assist them than their heads and gives a clear indication of how much time is or isn’t available to complete a required task.
A student should map everything out – activities, homework due, finding the time to complete the work, time for study/revision (but more detailed than just using these words), their chores they need to complete. When a student does this they usually feel much better, less overwhelmed and it reduces the chance of anxiety or stress taking over. The struggle to remember anymore is also removed and if they see what they need to do the chances are they are more likely to do it as well.
Seeing and tracking time really help students and for many it is an important skill that will assist them to succeed at both school and in life.
Why not speak to them and see if they will give it a go – what have you got to lose!
If you are a student or you have a child that struggles with this please do get in touch to find out more about how I can support you or them.
For more information on the importance of time management and what it is click here.
