This article is culled from The Excel Guidebook for Students: how to excel in exams, based on ethics compliant principles (Fourth Edition). The Excel Guidebook for Students is published by Exam Ethics Marshal International

Efficient use of time is an important factor for success not just in exams but in life generally. The difference between success or failure of two students of equal mental capacity boils down to the difference in management of their time.

THE LAW OF TIME MANAGEMENT.

The law of time management holds that “efficient use of time is an important factor for success not just in exams but in life generally. The difference between success or failure of two students of equal mental capacity boils down to the difference in management of their time.” You can deploy all the strategies outlined in this book and still not pass your exam if you fail to use your time wisely.

Time is everything.

Time is so central to our lives that it is used as a universal measure. Your age is a function of time. People celebrate first, second, twentieth, fiftieth birthday anniversaries. The period you spend in school is measured by time: Three years for Junior Secondary School; three years for Senior Secondary School; four to six years in the University depending on the course etc. Your school fees are calculated based on time-so and so amount per term, per session. The salary of your teacher is time-based-so and so amount per annum, per month. The time value of money is interest and it is stated based on time e.g. 10% per annum. The electricity you consume is measured based on time-kilowatts/hour. Production is measured in terms of outputs per minute, per hour, per week, per month, per year. Your plans, programmes and time tables are prepared based on the time you spend on each event. Every examination has time limits. Time is an unforgiving measure. It sets restraints on every operation and process. It is everything.

Time is a fixed resource.

What makes time so unforgiving is that it is completely elastic. You can buy more books and more materials but you cannot create more time. You can seek help from more teachers but you cannot extend time. There are 24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a week and 8,736 hours in a year. You can never hire, rent, buy or otherwise obtain more time. No matter your demand for time, the supply remains constant. Always remember the fact that time is totally irreplaceable. Yesterday is gone forever. If you waste just one hour every day, it is equivalent to your sleeping for two weeks at a stretch in a year. You have no choice but to make the best use of available time.

Avoid recurring crises.

When a particular crisis keeps recurring, it means you are wasting time. If you are perpetually late to class, or you keep failing a particular test, then you must be wasting time, somewhere and somehow. It may also be a sign of bad planning and organization. Perpetually misplacing your books, material or personal effects, always lagging behind in assignments are all recurring crises that point to time-wasting.

“Procrastination is the thief of time” is a popular saying. Use your daily planning sheet to ensure that you do each day all the things planned for that day. Procrastination is a dangerous habit. Never put off something you can do immediately.