How to use the Eisenhower Matrix for Enem preparation

With the National High School Examination (Enem) approaching, many students must balance revision, school, work, personal activities and other responsibilities. One tool that can help organise tasks and set priorities is the Eisenhower Matrix, a time-management method that sorts activities according to two criteria: urgency and importance.

According to Aise Silva, a lecturer on the Business Administration course at Anhanguera College, the tool can help students gain a clearer view of their routines and stop important tasks being left until the last minute.

“The matrix helps turn a long task list into a clearer organisation system. For people preparing for Enem, it can make it easier to determine which topics need immediate attention and which activities can be scheduled for another time,” she explains.

How does the Eisenhower Matrix work?

The method places tasks into four categories:

1. Important and urgent: activities that must be completed straight away, such as revising a topic that will feature in an upcoming test or submitting an assignment with a short deadline;
2. Important but not urgent: tasks that should be planned, including creating a revision timetable, reviewing topics and taking mock examinations;
3. Urgent but not important: activities requiring quick attention but which do not directly contribute to the main goal. Where possible, they can be simplified, postponed or reduced;
4. Neither urgent nor important: tasks that can be removed or cut back when they take up time that could be used for revision.

Setting priorities for Enem revision

To use the Eisenhower Matrix, students can begin by listing everything they need to do during the week, then categorising each activity by its importance and urgency.

This makes it possible to structure the routine more strategically:

1. List every task: include revision, school assignments, mock examinations, personal activities and commitments;
2. Decide what takes priority: consider which activities have the greatest impact on preparation for the examination;
3. Set deadlines: turn important tasks into actions with specified dates and times;
4. Avoid letting activities build up: review the matrix during the week and rearrange priorities whenever necessary.

Reviewing your Eisenhower Matrix each week

“One of the main benefits is realising that not everything has to be done at once. The student can identify what genuinely requires attention and set aside specific periods for activities that matter but do not need to be completed immediately,” Aise Silva concludes.

By Priscila Dezidério