Research shows that simply managing time properly can improve a university student's academic performance.

Time management is a crucial element of self-study and is attracting attention as a key factor influencing learning outcomes in university life, but its specific effects have been a subject of ongoing debate. A meta-analysis study by a research team at Shihezi University in China systematically investigated the impact of time management on university students' learning outcomes.

Frontiers | Systematic review and meta-analysis of the impact of time management on college students' learning outcomes
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1700298/full

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The study involved extracting data from 31 Chinese and English-language papers published between January 2000 and December 2024, focusing on a total of 13,506 students, and then conducting a meta-analysis.

This analysis revealed a clear and tangible positive link between time management and university students' academic performance. Based on the numerical values representing the strength of this influence, approximately 6.25% of the various factors determining academic performance can be explained by this single skill, time management. This is considered a significant and valuable effect for supporting and addressing students in educational settings.

Furthermore, it was found that the way this effect manifests differs depending on several factors, such as the student's academic year and the method used to measure time management. In particular, the effect of time management was found to be most pronounced in undergraduate students, especially first-year students who have just entered university. This period, when students have more freedom to create their own schedules and require self-management, is an excellent opportunity to acquire time management skills, unlike in high school.

On the other hand, graduate students and students in their later years of study have already established their own stable study styles and methods through their previous experiences. Therefore, they need to go beyond the basic framework of time management, such as making a schedule, and require more flexible situational judgment and ingenuity. Consequently, the degree to which simple time management directly impacts academic performance tends to be smaller compared to undergraduate students such as first-year students.

Furthermore, differences in research methods regarding how time management is evaluated also influenced the results; studies that used methods to examine how time is used and how specific plans are made showed a stronger correlation with academic performance.

In contrast, methods that merely examine internal tendencies such as a mindset or awareness of 'wanting to value time' have shown little correlation with academic performance. This suggests that the most effective approach is not just being conscious of time management in one's mind, but actually putting it into action by using calendars and planners, setting goals, and making it a habit.

However, differences in methods of grading, such as end-of-semester exams, quizzes and assignments, and overall grading; differences in student gender; and differences in upbringing, such as whether the culture values individual freedom or group cohesion, did not show any influence on the effect of time management on grades.

This suggests that differences in time management abilities between genders are offset within a standard university curriculum, and that the fundamental time management mechanism of setting and achieving goals is universal, transcending cultural differences.

This study has proven that time management is not an innate talent, but a skill that can be acquired through practice and experience. The research team concludes that it would be very practical for educational institutions such as universities to organize schedule management training and workshops to directly support students in improving their ability to manage themselves.