It’s that time of year – finals are wrapping up, and students are either taking the summer to relax, or they are beginning a job or internship. For those who are starting a new venture, now is the perfect time to implement some of the ideas from a recent Forbes article entitled “12 Tips For Increasing Productivity”. (And anyone who gets to take the summer off can bookmark this for when the semester begins.) Some of the most noteworthy practices discussed in include:
Seek help: While there is certainly a lot of pride that comes with completing a task on one’s own, it is rarely the most efficient path, particularly in a new job or class. Save time, decrease frustration, and increase the quality of work by asking for help when necessary – the connections that one builds in doing so will also be very useful as students progress in their academic and professional careers.
Weed out distractions: Easier said than done, I know. But ensuring that a certain amount of time each day is free of Facebook, news sites, and anything else that takes one’s energy away from the job at hand (even if it’s only a ten second distraction to cruise news headlines, that time adds up quickly!) Applications such as LetMeWork can help, by temporarily blocking designated websites.
Set goals: Having concrete goals to work towards allows ensures that all other work is focused, and will increase productivity. Goals should be achievable – otherwise there’d be no point – but certainly be ambitious, to keep students engaged.
Reward yourself for motivation: After students have implemented all of the above strategies and reaped the rewards of a more productive lifestyle, they should be sure to reward themselves! Take breaks, splurge, or do whatever recharges them after they accomplish something on the task list. It’s often a combination of many little things that allow people to keep pressing on day after day, so don’t neglect them.
The full Forbes article can be found here. The Forbes site also contains main other great articles for students, on a variety of topics that will help them navigate their summer jobs and internships.
