A No-Nonsense Guide to Time Management
Engineering isn’t hard because topics are impossible — it’s hard because there’s too much coming at you from all directions: assignments, labs, lectures, intern pressure, coding, CGPA stress, college chaos…
Smart studying = surviving with good marks + skill growth + free time.
Let’s break it down.
🧠 1. Follow the 80/20 Rule
Not everything in engineering needs equal effort.
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20% of topics → come in 80% of exams.
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Identify:
✔ Repeated PYQs
✔ Lab-relevant concepts
✔ Professor-highlighted points
✔ Assignments-based topics
📌 Hack: After every class, ask:
👉 "If the exam was tomorrow, what would I need to know?"
⏱ 2. Use the 25-5 Rule (Pomodoro Hybrid)
Don’t study for 3 hours straight — you’ll read but won’t remember.
Try this:
| Study | Break | Repeat |
|---|---|---|
| 25 min | 5 min | x4 |
| Then take a 15–20 min longer break |
This keeps your focus high and burnout low.
✍️ 3. Write Notes like a Human, Not a Printer
Don’t copy slides word-for-word.
Good notes should:
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Be short (1/3rd of the lecture length)
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Include keywords, formulas, diagrams
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Use bullet points → not paragraphs
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Highlight confusions/questions
📌 Rule:
If you can’t explain a topic in 4–6 bullet points, you don’t understand it yet.
🎯 4. Focus More on Understanding than Memorizing
Engineering = Applications → Not Rote Learning.
Learn using:
🔧 Examples
📐 Diagrams
🧪 Labs
💻 Code
If you understand the “why”, the “how” becomes easy.
Example mindset:
❌ “This is the formula.”
✔️ “Why does this formula exist? What happens if parameters change?”
📚 5. Weekly Revision > Night-Before Panic
Instead of revising EVERYTHING before exams, do:
Sunday 1-Hour Revision Ritual
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Review last week's topics
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Solve at least 5–10 practice questions
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Re-organize notes (delete useless things, mark important ones)
Weekly revision = long-term memory lock-in.
💪 6. Study Hard → When ENERGY is Highest
Some people study better:
-
⏰ Morning (6-10 AM → highest focus)
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🌙 Night (11 PM–2 AM → fewer distractions)
Identify your peak time → put hard subjects there (like Math, Signals, Mechanics, coding).
Use low-energy time for:
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Notes rewriting
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Watching lectures
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Assignments
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Group discussions
📵 7. Kill Distractions Before They Kill Your GPA
Use:
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Forest / Focus To-Do (phone lock)
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Notion / Google Calendar (plan)
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Todoist / TickTick (task tracking)
Rule:
👉 No studying with notifications ON.
👥 8. Use Group Study ONLY for Revision — Not for Learning
Studying alone = faster understanding.
Group study = better reinforcement.
So:
| Activity | Best Alone or Group? |
|---|---|
| Learning new concepts | ❌ Group |
| Solving doubts, revision, quiz | ✔ Group |
📌 9. Make a Simple Weekly Plan
Don’t create a 50-line hardcore timetable — it will fail.
Use 3 Daily Targets:
1 Hard Subject (Math / Core)
1 Medium Subject (Lab / Theory)
1 Skill Task (Coding / Project)
Total time: 2–3 hours/day consistently works wonders.
🎓 10. Solve Previous Papers + Expected Questions
Before exams:
1️⃣ Revise concepts
2️⃣ Practice PYQs
3️⃣ Solve model papers
4️⃣ Attempt one mock with time limit
This builds confidence + speed + memory.
💡 Summary Cheat Sheet
| Rule | Core Idea |
|---|---|
| 80/20 | Study what matters more |
| Pomodoro | Short focused study bursts |
| Smart Notes | Short, meaningful, concept-based |
| Weekly Revision | Remember long-term |
| Peak Hours | Study tough topics when fresh |
| No Distractions | Protect your focus |
| PYQs | Practice exam-style questions |
🏆 If you follow this system for 3 weeks, you will notice:
✔ Less stress
✔ Better marks
✔ Stronger understanding
✔ Free time for coding, gym, chilling, internships
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