How I Use Time Tracking to Stay on Top of Classes, Work, and Life
Time tracking has helped me receive significantly higher grades on tests. No joke! I've been doing time tracking for the last year and a half of college. Time tracking surprisingly motivates me to study, and to get my homework done. Today, we're going to talk about time tracking for students, and how you can start using time tracking to significantly improve your college life!
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Why should I track my time? I already have enough on my plate as a busy college student!
I previously considered myself to be a poor test-taker. I'd consider myself a good student, but when it came to tests, I thought everything was just up in the air. I didn't know how to consistently get good grades on tests.
After I started doing time tracking, my test grades improved considerably. I've now received test grades that are one of the highest in the class, and significantly above the average.
I think time tracking for students is a great productivity tool because I've seen how much it has improved my confidence going into exams and how much my test scores have improved!
The benefits of time tracking for students.
- Helps with focus and motivation
- Helps you manage deadlines and time across multiple categories (work, school)
- Is flexible
- Easy to do
If you are ready to learn how to implement time tracking in your life, so you can get these benefits, keep reading!
How I Use Time Tracking to Stay on Top of Classes, Work, and Life
I've talked about time tracking a few times over the years, so I've tried out quite a few things, and I wanted to share what is currently working for me to help me manage my time as a busy college student.
I started time tracking using my bullet journal and my Garmin smartwatch. Then, I switched to using an app called Boosted (I use the free version!).
I've realized that the most valuable resource I have is my time, so in the past year, I've been trying to find ways to use my time better. I also started tracking my screen time across my devices.
Time tracking is helping me better manage my time without taking up a lot of time or effort!
Why Time Tracking for Students Instead of Time Blocking?
Everyone has heard of time blocking and some people love it! I just don't. 😂
And that's ok, because everyone has different tools and systems that work for them. Time blocking is just too rigid for me. It would make me feel like I'm always running behind or like I always have somewhere else I need to go.
You know that feeling when you have an appointment at 3pm, so you can't concentrate or do anything until after that appointment?
That's how time blocking feels to me.
Time tracking on the other hand is a lot more flexible. I can take however long I need on a task, and then when it's complete, I move onto the next task.
I can analyze how I'm spending my time without feeling rushed or having too rigid of a schedule. Let's get right into how you can start doing time tracking!
My Time Tracking Routine as a Student
As I said previously, I currently use the free version of the app Boosted to track my time. This post isn't sponsored, but I wanted to share Boosted because I've been using this app for over a year, and I really love how easy it makes tracking my time.
My Time Tracking Setup on Boosted
I have one project for each separate area of my life I want to track. On Boosted, I like to think of projects as folders, so I have one project for each of my college classes, and one for each of my jobs.
Under projects, you have the ability to list out separate tasks. I don't like to go into a lot of depth in my time tracking because when time tracking takes a lot of time, it takes away from my productivity.
Instead, for my college classes, I track my time by the week, large projects, and time spent on tests.
Here is an example of what my task list looks like for one of my classes.
- Week 1
- Week 2
- Week 3
- Week 4
- Team Project
- Exam #1
- Week 5
- Week 6
Of course, there are a lot more weeks, but I didn't want to include an entire list of a 16-week semester. Basically, I track by week, and I track tasks that are worth a larger percentage of my grade.
For work, I track my time divided up by tasks. For my current jobs, there are no set hours. For my blog, I have a task for each separate blog post I am writing. I have one task for Pinterest, and another task for updates I need to do.
I don't go into depth beyond that because some tasks don't take up very much time at all.
I don't want to have to be going into the app every 15 minutes to switch tasks because this takes more time.
How I Use Time Tracking Day-to-Day
Tracking my time day-to-day is very simple after I've set up my categories and tasks for the semester.
When I sit down to work on one of my classes...
- I go to the Boosted app and turn on the timer for that task
- I work on all of the homework I have for that class that needs to be completed by the following day
- If I switch to a task not associated with this class or check something else, I turn off the timer. Ideally though, I stay focused on only homework for this class until it's all completed
Knowing that I have a timer on helps me stay focused and avoid distractions.
How I Use Time Tracking to Study
I used to really struggle with studying because it's so hard to know how much to study. It was one of those tasks that never ends. I could never cross it off my to-do list.
Now, with time tracking, I can quantify how much time I need study for a test and break it up into bite-sized chunks.
I realized that for most of my college tests, I need to study 7-15 hours.
How did I come up with this number? Through tracking my time studying, of course.
When I have a test coming up in two weeks or so, I set up my study schedule. I try to only study for a test 1-2 hours a day to avoid cramming.
If I start two-weeks in advance, and study for 1 hour almost every day, I can get in around 10 hours of studying.
If it's a multiple-choice test, I study closer to 7 hours, and if it's a fill-in-the-blank test, I try to study for closer to 15 hours.
After I take my first exam for that class, I adjust how much I study for the next exam, based on how well I did. If I want a similar score on the second exam, I now know how much I need to study for it.
Sometimes, I get to study less!
For final exams, I try to study for roughly twice the amount of time I spent studying on the exams for that class.
With a little bit of time tracking, I now have the tools I need to succeed on my exams! Going into exams, I no longer have to feel like the score I am getting is left up to chance.
Final Notes on How I Use Time Tracking to Stay on Top of Classes, Work, and Life
Using the app Boosted, I can see how much time I'm spending on each class, and how much time I spend working. This helps me know if I'm spending enough time on school and work.
I also track how much I exercise using my Garmin smartwatch and my screen time using other tools.
Overall, time tracking helps me get my homework done and improves my grades, which is why I think time tracking is great for students!
If you enjoyed reading this post about time tracking for students, you might also enjoy these other posts that will help you track your time as a student!
- Stop Wasting Your Life on These 11 Time-Consuming Tasks
- The Simple Strategy to Discover Where Your Time Goes
- 5 Simple Time Trackers to Get Your Life Back
- How I Created a Minimalist Phone to Cut My Screen Time in Half
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