10 Time Management Tips for Online Middle and High School Students
August 28, 2025
Time management skills not only keep students on schedule and on top of their work, they also provide plenty of practice when it comes to juggling a variety of tasks later in life. Here are 10 time management tips for online middle and high school students.
Time management skills are critical in all aspects of life, especially as we take on more and more responsibilities the older we get. These important skills, which help us manage our lives as adults, are also especially useful for middle and high school students. Not only do they keep kids on schedule and on top of their work, they also provide plenty of practice when it comes to juggling a variety of tasks later in life. If your student hasn’t quite perfected their time management skills, that’s okay! Because we have 10 time management tips for online middle and high school students.
1) Create a Dedicated Study Space
What does an ideal study space include? The basics – such as a desk or workstation, a comfortable chair, their computer, a printer, and a strong wifi connection – are obvious. As far as the atmosphere of this study space? Let your student decide!
Some kids prefer a calm, soothing environment that allows them to relax and get their work done. With that in mind, find a room or area of your home that’s not overly decorated or stimulating to the senses. While a plant or even a small zen garden can add to the calming atmosphere, simpler is better. A scented candle or aromatherapy diffuser can add just the right finishing touch. A white noise machine or some relaxing music can also contribute to an environment suitable for studying.
Not all students thrive in a quiet, soothing environment, however. Some enjoy listening to music and/or using visual aids such as notes, pictures, maps, and more to keep them focused. If that sounds like your child, do your best to accommodate their wishes as it may help improve their time management and study habits. Being in a comfortable place with everything they need helps online middle and high school students make the most of their study time.
2) Develop a Consistent Daily Routine
Once a dedicated study space is created, help your child develop a consistent daily routine to help them get into a groove. After all, we are creatures of habit. Now, of course, some days may vary, which means your student may have to deviate from their routine. But having a consistent routine for most days gives online middle and high school students a better handle on what they need to get down, how long it will take them to get their tasks done, and when the best time is to do them.
Let’s look at a couple of sample schedules. If your child is involved in sports, travel, or other extracurriculars, a typical day could like like this:
- 7:30 am wake-up
- Breakfast
- First classes at around 8:30 am
- 10-minute break between each class
- Finish classes by 1:30 pm
- Snack/exercise break until 2:00 pm
- Study and homework time between 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm
- Afterschool activities
- Dinner
- More study and homework time as needed
- Free time the rest of the day
Of course, this is just an example. You and your child can collaborate on a more specific schedule based around class schedules and activities. No matter what the routine looks like, maintaining it as consistently as possible helps instill middle and high school students with time management skills so they have an idea of how each day will unfold.
3. Plan Ahead with a Calendar
Yes, we live in a digital world. But some people prefer good, old-fashioned paper calendars to keep schedules organized. If you’re more comfortable with calendar apps on your phone or computer, by all means! If you’re old-school, grab a daily planner and have your student write out tasks and assignments on the appropriate days.
Regardless of how your students decide to plan with a calendar, emphasize the importance of prioritizing their tasks. Having all of their tasks laid out by day, week, and month puts in plain view what is due and when. That allows middle and high school students to manage their time accordingly. They can even color code their tasks to illustrate priority level.
4. Set Reminders
As sort of a next step in planning ahead with a calendar, students should set reminders for their tasks and assignments to ensure all work is completed. How they remind themselves is a matter of preference. Using phone reminders, alarms, or calendars for alerts can be effective, as can simple post-it notes on a computer monitor or desk. The important thing is that these reminders should be visible (or audible) so students can manage their time appropriately and make sure they’ve finished all their tasks.
5. Focus on One Task at a Time
Speaking of tasks, we always hear about how much time multitasking can save. In some cases, that’s true. But more and more studies point to multitasking not being as effective as we once thought. Especially when it comes to middle and high school students and their schoolwork. And especially since multitasking now consists of phone time. Research shows that when students multitask while studying or doing their homework, they don’t learn as much as when they dedicate their full attention to the work. In fact, students understand and remember less while multitasking.
One tip that can be helpful in keeping your student on task is to allow them phone time–but only after a stretch of uninterrupted studying or homework time. This is a modern example of the Pomodoro Technique, a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s. The Pomodoro Technique uses fixed time intervals for focused work (generally 25 minutes) followed by short breaks and is known to improve focus and concentration, enhance time management, and even reduce anxiety and stress. Using this technique, you can have your child complete 25 minutes of uninterrupted schoolwork that earns them a five-minute break to get up and check their phones. Then back to work once that five minutes is up. This helps keep teens focused, yet it also instills a sense of freedom that allows them to be a kid.
6. Eliminate Distractions
This ties in nicely to our last tip since phones are obviously a distraction to middle and high school students. One way to eliminate that specific distraction is to keep your child’s phone in a different room from the one in which they’re studying or doing schoolwork. If you plan on using the Pomodoro Technique to keep your middle or high schooler from multitasking, just make sure their phone is not with them in their study area. Additionally, students looking to improve their time management skills should close all web browsers on their computer so they’re not tempted to wander and surf the vast depths of the internet.
You know your child better than anyone. So if there are other distractions present in their workspace, try to reduce or eliminate them altogether to keep them focused on the tasks at hand. They may resist these efforts at first, but they’ll quickly understand the logic as your students’ time management skills rapidly improve.
7. Reach Out When Help Is Needed
It may sound simple, but if your student gets stuck or needs help, they should feel confident asking. Their teachers, academic coaches, and fellow classmates are more than willing to provide assistance with a question or problem. And the sooner your student asks, the faster they can get back to their work–thus saving time.
8. Work Ahead When Possible
Time management for online students also includes working ahead of schedule when it’s doable. Say, for example, your middle or high schooler is free of extracurriculars on a given day but has a busy schedule in the coming days and weeks. Using that day to get ahead of their schoolwork can go a long way toward helping your child better balance whatever lies ahead by providing them with extra time they may not have otherwise had.
Of course, this won’t be possible at times because current work will often be enough to keep your student busy. That’s why it’s even more important for students to take advantage of free time so they can work ahead and save themselves some stress in the future.
9. Take Care of Yourself
None of the tips above are possible unless students take care of themselves–mentally and physically. These time management strategies for middle and high school students rely on their ability to be present, engaged, and focused on school. How can students take care of themselves to optimize their academic performance?
- Get at least seven (preferably eight) hours of sleep each night.
- Eat a healthy diet that fuels their bodies and brains.
- Partake in physical activity to get the blood pumping, keep the energy levels high, and clear the mind.
When kids feel good, they perform better. Encourage them to improve (if needed) their sleep routine, eat healthier, and get more activity so they can remain sharp and efficient with their academics.
10. Reward Yourself
None of these time management tips for online students is easy. It can definitely be a challenge juggling all of their schoolwork and outside activities–especially doing so in a way that is time-efficient. That’s why it’s important for students to reward themselves for a job well done.
Knowing that they’re using time management techniques – and saving time in the process – should make middle and high school students feel good about themselves. So they should reward themselves with something fun. A coffee hang with friends, a pizza for dinner, a movie, some ice cream, a smoothie, or an acai bowl. They deserve it, and it serves as motivation to keep up the time management routine.
Time Management Tips for Online Students
By using time management strategies such as these, online students can thrive through self-care, organization, careful planning, and focus. No matter how busy their schedules may be, middle and high school students can experience academic success with Holston Academy. With our student-centered approach to education, flexible schedules, and robust student support, Holston takes online education to the next level. For more information about Holston Academy, fill out our form to request more information: https://holstonacademy.org/request-information/.