Multitasking is a common phenomenon for students and parents alike. Students attempt to complete their homework assignments while listening to music or checking social media, and parents attempt to complete work projects while stopping to review each new e-mail that comes into their inboxes.
“To do two things at once is to do neither.”
-Publilius Syrus
While we might think that taking on multiple tasks at the same time increases our productivity, research consistently indicates that multitasking only slows you down, increases stress, and causes you to make more errors. In short, multitasking is a myth! That is why this month’s study tips are:
→ Keep your desk clean from any potential distractions.
→ Schedule out both your work time and distraction time to increase productivity.
Staying focused on a single task can be challenging for students, so leveraging available resources can help. Several tools that we will be discussing during this week’s sessions are included below:
- Forest App – Get rewarded for maintaining your focus.
- SelfControl App – Block yourself from accessing distracting websites.
3 ways developing Time Management Skills make students more college-ready:
- A study from the University of Connecticut showed that college students “who multitasked while doing homework had to study longer, and those who frequently multitasked in class had lower grades on average than their peers who multitasked less often.”
- Research from the American Association of Pediatrics highlights how checking social media while doing schoolwork negatively impacts students’ grades.
- Research from the University of California, Irvine shows that it takes on average over 20 minutes to fully refocus each time you are distracted from a task.
Take it to the next level!
- Use your student planner to schedule out times that you will only focus on schoolwork.
- Start your work off with your biggest tasks.
- Regularly to see where you are actually spending your time.
Remember, developing great habits takes consistent practice so keep at it!
