How to Save Time Every Week as a Student with These Habits

For the student that’s always asking where their week went  

Juggling study, work, chores, hobbies and finding time to see friends in one week or semester can feel impossible.  

Whether you’re studying and working or struggling to find the time to get everything done, these habits are sure to make your life less overwhelming and prevent burn out. 

Time-blocking with “non-negotiables”. 

Most students fall into the habit of letting their week get ahead of them. Time blocking is a super easy way to prevent getting overwhelmed and accidentally double booking yourself. Plus, you get guaranteed downtime. 

Put all fixed commitments in your calendar: classes, work shifts, sports, etc. Then add your “non-negotiables” like sleep, rest and social time.  

Whatever’s left in your planner becomes flexible study/assignment space. This stops your week from becoming accidental chaos. 

And it can be quite satisfying to lay out your day or week in one place.  

Apps and browser extensions to prevent distractions. 

We’ve all been there - sitting at your desk, laptop open and ready to study… but you’re stuck sitting there doomscrolling. 

The best way to prevent falling into that social media hole is to use a focus app like Forest or Focus Friend – two apps which combine cute visuals with an in-game shop to reward yourself for staying off your phone. 

If you find it hard to resist the urge to go on YouTube or Facebook on your laptop, download a browser extension like StayFocused, BlockSite or Freedom. 

It’s also a good idea to put your devices on do not disturb to prevent any distracting notifications that will tempt you to scroll. Another tactic could be turning off app notifications for social media like Instagram, TikTok and other social messaging apps.  

And if all else fails, turn your phone off.  

The 25/5 Rule (AKA the Pomodoro Method). 

Long study sessions don’t always equal productive study sessions. 

This is a tried and true method that we can confirm works. It helps you start when your motivation is low, forces breaks so your energy doesn’t tank and turns two hours of “just sitting there” into an hour of focused work. 

How to do it: 

• Study for 25 minutes
• Take a 5-minute break
• Repeat four times then take a 15-20 minute break

Batch your tasks together. 

There are a few different ways you can do this depending on what you’re studying. The point of batching is to get your brain to stay in a flow state and in the same “mode” depending on what you’re doing. You get deeper into each task and finish faster. 

Batch by subject – assign a different subject to each day of the week. 

Batch by task type – all readings in one session, all practice questions in one session, all note-taking in one session. 

Batch assignments by stage – do all your research for all subjects in the same time block, outline 2-3 assignments in a single session, write all your rough drafts in one session and edit everything in one session. 

Batch weekly content – for example every Tuesday watch all recorded lectures, every Wednesday do all tutorials and assigned questions, every Friday weekly review and prep for next week. 

Make transport time productive. 

Turn boring commute time into bonus study hours without the extra effort.  

Listen to recorded lectures at 2x speed, review flashcards on apps like Quizlet or Anki, do small admin tasks (check emails, plan your day, reply to messages) and if you’re walking you can listen to summaries or podcasts for the subject you’re studying. 

It’s low cognitive load productivity meaning no pressure but high payoff.  

The 10-minute daily reset. 

Most of the chaos in your week starts the night before. Take a quick ten minutes to clean your desk, check tomorrow’s commitments, pack your bag and write any tasks or things you need to remember for the week. 

Finding time to tackle all your tasks as a student shouldn’t have to feel like rocket science. By batching your tasks, blocking your calendar and utilising anti-distraction tools, you’ll get more done in less time.  

Remember – start small and stay consistent.