At American Institute of Dental Assisting (AIDA), students complete dental assistant training in 13 weeks. Since a great deal of learning is built into those weeks, proper time management is essential to help students balance life responsibility and schoolwork.
Top 6 Most Effective Time Management Strategies
Here are some time management tips for students to help you build this important skill:
- Find out where your time goes: For a few days, track how you spend your time. Then, take a step back and try to find pockets of time when you can get things done. This could be during your commute, or you might want to cut some TV time or leisure time to study. Do what works for you.
- Write it down: Create a system for tracking everything you need to do, including your appointments, reading and schoolwork. You can use a paper or digital planner — just make sure it’s easy to use so you’re motivated to stick with it.
- Plan ahead: If you have a project due in three weeks, break it down into manageable chunks. That may mean having research done in a week, a rough draft the week after that and leaving the final week for edits.
- Prioritize: Each day in your planner or your digital system, write down your most crucial three to five tasks. These are the things you must do before anything else. Check throughout the day to make sure you are taking care of these items.
- Stay on one track: Trying to multitask usually doesn’t work. Once you have your list of items you need to get done, work on one task at a time until that task is done, then move on to the next. If you’re having a hard time focusing, work with a study partner or create a system with periods of deep work followed by predetermined breaks to keep you on track.
- Work when you are most productive: If you’re a night owl, try to do your studying and schoolwork in the evening. If you’re an early bird, tackle your work first thing. You may have an easier time getting more done in less time if you work with your body’s natural preferences.
Do You Want to Turn Your Time Management Skills Into a New Career?
If you’re ready to put these time management tips for students to good use, the American Institute of Dental Assisting can help you start a new career in only 13 weeks with benefits and opportunities open for you. To learn more, book a virtual tour of our campus today!