When you manage time well, you’ll have more time for yourself.

The best thing to do to manage your time is by putting some basic time management techniques into practice.

1. Use a student diary, or an old notebook. You may also convert an old exercise book into a diary, or buy one from a bookshop. Write important events such as after-school activities and daily homework status in your diary.

2. Try to break complex homework tasks into smaller projects and then plan out the work. If a project is due in two weeks, work-out what needs to be done and work backwards from the due date.

3. Measure the time you spend on homework and work efficiently and quickly. It is common for many children to think they have spent hours doing homework when they have really wasted much of their time away sharpening pencils, arranging books, or playing games on the computer. Establishing a set time for such activities is an effective way of working quickly.

4. Prioritise your work. Categorise your homework as either “Important,” “Urgent” or “Both.” “Important” means the task needs great attention to detail before it can be completed, while “Urgent” means it is due soon, usually the next day. This helps you take control of your work rather than leave it until the last possible moment.

A valuable time management technique for children is to establish a work routine that suits individual physical requirements as well as schedules. You may be a night owl who can work productively after dark, while your friend, John, may just go to sleep when the Sun goes down.

It is, therefore, best to have different homework routines that reflect your “best” time of the day — to study, play and/or use your time effectively.