We had such a positive response to our last post that we sat down with our Ultimate Private Tutor, Suniti, for a Q&A about time-management!Suniti's Bio: Suniti has prepared over 1200 students across the world for the SAT and ACT tests. Her 12 years of experience has given her a deep understanding of what works with students of all proficiencies. Suniti's students have increased their score by up to 700 points on the SAT and 8 points on the ACT. Suniti received her graduate diploma in teaching from Auckland College of Education.
Q: What if a student doesn’t have big open windows of time to study?
A: Use your spare minutes wisely! Most students don’t have that kind of time! It’s all about being productive when you do have a spare moment. You might not even realize it, but you can study on the bus ride to-and-from school, in the back seat of a car on road trips etc.
Q: What can students do to stay focused?
A: Take breaks! It is really important to take breaks in order to remain productive. Use your breaks to access your distractions (text, check your Facebook, tweet all you want) during 10-30 minute breaks. Figure out what ratio of work to downtime allows you to be most productive.
Q: How can students keep track of all the things they need to get done?
A: Set reminders! I encourage all my students to set reminders on their phones/tablets/computers. I know that priorities often shift and to-do lists become a chore of their own. But setting reminders that pop up on your screen help you stay on track and keep you from forgetting them altogether!
Q: Many students often feel overwhelmed in High School. What’s your advice to them?
A: Don’t overcommit yourself! Once you have identified your goals, and set up your schedule, you may realize that being successful may require some sacrifice. You might not be able to attend every party or every movie date but you will be able to make time for those things as you increase your efficiency and get more productive
Q: Are there any other favorite tips you’d like to share with our readers?
A: Avoid trying to reinvent the wheel! Where possible, save time by leveraging the resources of others and delegating. For example, many of my students have wasted hours creating flashcards to memorize vocabulary words for the SAT. This is a time-waster! Play vocabulary games that already exist. There are many apps out there, or you can even play TestRocker’s vocab game!
And Finally:
Remember to take time for yourself, and schedule time for the family, friends, and activities you care about most.
