Time Management Tips for Apprentices: Balancing Work & Study
It’s that time again, and this month's topic of the month (drumroll please) is:
Time Management and Good Attendance.
This month, we’ll look at the importance of good attendance and time management and how both skills are crucial to anyone’s career. By the end of it you’ll be thinking of these skills as your own secret weapon.
Let’s explore how to master them, with a little help from some current cultural references to keep things fun and relatable.
Why Good Attendance Matters
Think about your favourite TV series. Imagine if one of the main characters just decided not to show up for a few episodes. It would throw off the whole storyline, right? Similarly, in the workplace, being present consistently is key. It builds trust and shows your commitment. Your teammates rely on you, just like you rely on the cast of Stranger Things to show up every episode and deliver the thrills.
The Impact of Punctuality
Being on time is not just about avoiding your supervisor's disappointment. It’s about setting the tone for your day. Think of it like catching the first 10 minutes of a new movie and how if you missed it, you’d be lost for the rest of the film. Showing up on time ensures you don’t miss crucial information, allows you to settle in, and prepares you to tackle the day’s tasks clearly.
Time Management Techniques
Time management is an art which you can become a pro in, with a little practice. Don’t worry if you’re not sure where to start because we’ve got you covered. In addition to our tips, never be afraid to talk to friends and colleagues about what helps them too.
Use Planners
Keeping track of everything that goes on in our lives is hard enough without trying to remember all the work tasks and deadlines. A great way to keep track of everything is with a planner. Whether you are a pen-to-paper type of person or favour tech there is something to suit your way of working. Remember there’s no right or wrong, it’s whatever works best for you.
Prioritise with the Eisenhower Matrix
Don’t let the fancy name freak you out. This method is helpful and in simple terms is a four-step method to prioritise your tasks.
- Urgent and Important
- Important but not Urgent
- Urgent but not Important
- Neither Urgent nor Important
By following this method, you can focus on what is important instead of falling into the trap of what is just urgent. It is like when you’re deciding between binge watching your favourite show before you do your work and doing your work first so you can watch your TV show guilt-free. Watch a beginner's guide here.
The Pomodoro Technique
This technique gets its name from the Italian word for Tomato (because of the tomato shaped timer). It’s all about working in short, focused, and intense bursts. The technique works like this:
Set a timer for 25 minutes
Take a 5-minute break
Repeat
The idea is that it boosts your productivity by ensuring you have this focused time. You can watch a video about it here.
We can’t talk about tips without talking about the work/ life balance or in this case the work/study balance.
Balancing Work and Study
For apprentices, balancing work, life and study might feel like you’re constantly spinning plates. With effective time management and planning you can easily navigate it.
Breaking things down into manageable tasks – by doing this you are making it more manageable and easier to tackle. In the long run this will help you to manage expectations and feel less overwhelmed.
Block out time – this allows you to focus on a specific area at a time rather than feeling like you’re bouncing from one thing to the next.
Use Checklists – if you’re working on something and there are steps to it lists will help you to tick off each part. This could link nicely with breaking things down into more manageable tasks as you can tick each one off.
Tips for Good Attendance
Good attendance feeds directly into time management because it could cause a domino effect. By being late you affect everything which puts you back for everything else. So good attendance is crucial. Here are some tips to help you:
Prepare: To help you in the morning take the evening to prepare everything you can. This can be your outfit, lunch, and reviewing your to-do list for the next day. This reduces the need to rush in the morning and start your morning off right.
Set Alarms – Yes, to wake you up but why stop there? With apps like Google, you can easily set up reminders and alarms to act as your guide for the day so you can stay on task.
Getting enough sleep – yes, we’ve said it. Everyone knows the importance of a good night's sleep. Try to keep to a good schedule and get the quality sleep you need as this will help you feel energised and ready to tackle your day.
Resources and Tools to help you
I’ve mentioned that technology can help you so here are some great examples of easy-to-use things that can aid you in being a pro at time management:
- Notion
- Trello
- Google/Office 365
- Asana/Slack
To Do List also has a great mix of videos to help you which can see here.
So now you’ve got the tips, advice, and resources, it is time to put them into action. The best secret weapons you’ll need for any career.