How often do we hear people say “I wish there were more hours in a day?”

We can’t control time but we can control how we use our time. Every day we run around trying to get things done. While schoolwork and exams are the most stressful, we can still find a way to make it less stressful using time management.

Rather than believing that we don’t control what we do, we should plan our days. For instance, school and work back-to-back three or four times a week can be very stressful. If you know you have a lot of homework to catch up on, then don’t go home and turn on the TV or get on Facebook. Instead, prepare yourself a quick dinner and get straight to the books until you’re done. The longer you push it off, the more stressed you’ll be.

Tip: In between your studying, take long pauses. Get up, walk around, dance around, call someone. That should generate your rhythm of thinking.

You can also try the Pomodoro Technique. Set a timer for 25 minutes and concentrate on your work until the bell rings. No opening emails, no searching the internet, no making phone calls. Then take a five-minute break, and start again. It can become pretty intense.

Most people say, “I just have so much to do,” but really they don’t. It’s all about how you use your time. I guarantee that if you add up all the time you’ve spent on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube, you’d be surprised and realize what else you could have been doing during that time. People spend countless hours on social networks, and push off what’s really important.

Don’t you want more time to relax? Push off your to-do list (except if you have homework). Having a messy room or a few dishes in the sink is all right to leave for a couple of days. No one wants to come home to house chores. Relax after a long day!

According to the “American Time Use Survey” conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2011 the average American spent 2.1-2.6 hours on activities “such as housework, cooking, lawn care, or financial and other household management,” depending on if they were a man or a woman.

Catch up with all the cleaning and housework on the weekend when there’s no class.

With a little planning you’ll feel that you can control time so that you can get your work done. I’m not saying that I control time but I know how to make time for myself so that I won’t be overwhelmed all at once.