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Introduction
The interest in time management among university students began to emerge in the 1970s with the publication of self-help books that emphasized emotional and relationship control as a key element for time organization. In the 1980s, the first research studies based on efficiency models on time management as a strategy against stress were conducted (Macan et al., 1990; Claessens et al., 2007). These studies identified the importance of distinguishing and combining important and urgent tasks, which improved the sense of efficacy and productivity, reduced stress and made tasks more satisfying as well as engaging. Macan et al. (1990) later claimed that time management would be multidimensional, with various factors such as perceived control of time, goal and priority setting, application of technical strategies and preference for disorganization.
In university, study time is limited and must be managed carefully; therefore, perseverance and good time management are necessary for academic success. Resources on time management should be included in university education since time management strategies improve effectiveness and performance (Nadinloyi et al., 2013). Back in the 1990s, Britton and Tesser (1991) pointed out that there were positive correlations between students' time management and their academic performance. Later, Hortsmanshof and Zimitat (2007) considered self-perception of time as a key factor that affects the relationship between academic performance and commitment to studies. Additionally, a relationship has been demonstrated between perceived control of time and stress reduction in university students (Häfner et al., 2015; von Keyserlingk et al., 2022).
The policies carried out during the last decades aimed at democratizing access to university education and have diversified the type of students pursuing higher education, bringing in a different profile than the so-called “traditional student” (Gilardi and Guglielmetti, 2011). From a student with an average age of 19 at the time of enrollment, just out of high school and a member of an upper-middle-class family, we have moved to a student between 23 and 25 years old who often has to combine studies with part-time job. Currently, these students who combine work and studies (either bachelor's or master's degrees) require greater flexibility in teaching methods from universities, which has caused the latter to adopt different strategies that respond to their student's new needs. A...