Adapted from the Managing Your Time Effectively handout by the Learning Assistance Center at Glendale Community College. TIME MANAGEMENT PACKAGE
Time Management Habits: What tasks do I know that I have to do each and every week? How do I deal with multiple deadlines? What do I get done each week, and what do I not get done? Do I feel like I have enough time in the week to do everything I need to do? If not, what things would I like to find more time for? Areas for improvement:
Managing Your Time Effectively Spending time, like spending money, is a very personal matter. Unlike money, however, you can t get a time raise or save some hours for a busy day. We all have to live on 168 hours each week. Successful students, like other successful people, must budget their time according to their priorities to ensure that they spend their time effectively. Here are some steps you can follow in order to manage your time more effectively: 1. Take a look at the big picture. Use the Monthly Planner sheets in this package to map out all of your upcoming tests, quizzes, assignments, and projects. Do this for the whole term. 2. Identify your goals and priorities. Which courses require the most effort from you? Which assignments are the most important? Make one SMART Goal for each course that you are taking. (Use the SMART Goal sheet in this package) 3. Analyze how you are currently spending your time. Complete the Where Does the Time Go? sheet in this package and see how much time you have to study. 4. Compare your current use of time to your priorities. Are you spending as much time as you need to on things that are important to you? Where can you find more time for your priorities? 5. Take a look at your weekly commitments. A) Use the Daily Planner sheet in this package to block out time that you know will be taken up by activities that occur each and every week (e.g. class time, transportation time, meals, an aerobics class, weekly readings, time spent studying for a weekly quiz, etc.). B) Fill out the Weekly To Do List in this package to see what you need to accomplish this week. Estimate how long each task will take you to complete, and block off time in your Daily Planner for these tasks. Stick to your time schedule. Some flexibility is necessary, of course, to take care of unexpected demands, but if you spend too much time on non-priority tasks, you will not meet your goals.
Monthly Schedule, SUN MON TUES WED THUR FRI SAT
SMART Goals When you are making goals, you should remember the word SMART. Effective goals should be specific, measurable, agreed upon, realistic, and timely. Here is an example of a SMART goal: SMART Goal: Don t procrastinate on the paper for EAC 149 Specific Measurable - Be specific about your goal - e.g. completely finish term paper 2 days before it is due. - Break the goal into steps and assign deadlines to these steps - e.g. keep track of completion*. * For help with how to break a paper into chunks or steps, see the Term Paper Timeline provided in this package. Agreement Realistic Timely - Make an agreement with a friend to share your goal with others. This will help to motivate you. - e.g. find a friend who is also writing a paper and agree to finish the first draft by a certain date. - Ask yourself is this goal attainably realistic? Can I do this? Why or why not? - e.g. will you get your paper done if you try to work on it an hour each day? - Set deadlines for completion. Assign specific dates and times for working on steps. - e.g. some steps may include preliminary research, writing an outline, or writing the first draft.
Term Paper Timeline Course: Instructor: Due Date: Aim to complete step by this date: Completed on: 1. Understand assignment and requirements. 2. Do research to investigate a subject. 3. Choose a topic. 4. Find readings and select those that are appropriate. 5. Find books and make detailed notes. 6. Develop a thesis statement. 7. Create an outline. 8. Write your first draft. 9. Edit and proofread your paper. 10. Revise your paper. 11. Put the final touches on your paper (e.g. title page, formatting, reference list, etc.). 12. Submit paper.
Factors that will influence your ability to keep to your timeline for this paper:
Where Does The Time Go? Estimate how much time you spend on each of the activities below, and fill in the blanks provided. 1. Number of hours of sleep each night x 7 = 2. Number of grooming hours per day x 7 = 3. Number of hours for meals/snacks per day (include preparation time) x 7 = 4. Total travel time: a. per weekdays b. on the weekend x 5 = 5. Number of hours per week for regularly scheduled functions (e.g. sports practices, clubs, church, get-togethers, etc.) 6. Number of hours per day for chores, errands, extra grooming, etc. x 7 = 7. Number of hours of work per week 8. Number of hours of class per week 9. Average number of hours per week spent socializing (e.g. dates, etc. - be honest!) 10. Add up the totals: 11. Subtract this number from 168 (The number of hours in one week). 168 - = The remaining hours are the hours that you have left yourself to study.
Reflection: Do you currently leave enough time in your schedule for your studies? If not, where can you find more time in your schedule? Do you think that your initial time estimates are accurate? If not, where do you think they are off, and how can you get a more accurate picture of how you spend your time? Daily Planner WEEK: TIME MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY 8:00-8:30 8:30-900 9:00-9:30 9:30-10:00 10:00 10:30 10:30 11:00 11:00 11:30 11:30 12:00 12:00 12:30 12:30 1:00 1:00 1:30 1:30 2:00 2:00 2:30 2:30 3:00 3:00 3:30 3:30 4:00 4:00 4:30 4:30 5:00 EVENING 5:00 5:30 5:30 6:00
6:00 6:30 6:30 7:00 7:00 7:30 7:30 8:00 8:00 8:30 8:30 9:00 9:00 9:30 9:30 10:00 10:00 10:30 10:30 11:00 11:00 11:30 11:30 12:00
Student s Name: From: To: Weekly To Do List Course Assignment Due Date
TIPS FOR TIME MANAGEMENT Keep a Things To Do list and keep the items in priority order Most people tend to do low-ranking, little things first and never get around to the important tasks. Break major tasks down into small, manageable chunks We often avoid big projects because we have limited time or we don t know where to begin. Break major projects into small pieces and tackle them one at a time. Eliminate tasks Carefully evaluate each task and, when possible, don t do time-consuming routine tasks like washing the car weekly or dusting. Delegate or negotiate tasks Ask yourself, Who else can do this task? (Maybe not as well as you would do it, but acceptably). Ask What tasks can I trade or share with someone? Learn to ask for help. Consolidate tasks Whenever possible do more than one thing at a time except thinking! If you re going to the library to prepare your biology report, also work on your research paper and look up a reference that you need for literature. Evaluate your habits Why do you do routine tasks in a certain way? Are your routines efficient? Could you save time by changing your routine actions? Could getting up 15 minutes earlier be helpful? Know your prime working times and use them wisely There really are morning people and night owls find out when you feel most alert, and arrange your schedule so that you have study time during your peak hours. Be prepared to lower your standards Given the heavy demands on your time, it is doubtful that you can do everything perfectly. Based on your priorities, decide what you want to be A quality and what things can be B quality. Learn to say No There is never enough time to do everything we want to do, so we must learn to do those things that move us toward our goals and say no to those that do not. Be flexible but remain in control Expect interruptions; they are bound to occur. If you are doing things in priority order not leaving big things until last you and your schedule will easily survive.
Make a study schedule and stick to it The best way to ensure that you will have enough study time to meet your goals in each course is to plan for it. Daily, weekly, and monthly planners are available in the Learning Centre. Understand assignments and write them down Keep all assignments in one place to avoid forgetting something. Remember that study includes many different tasks When instructors talk about the need to study, they mean you should: o read/review material in preparation for class o complete all homework o review class notes, text assignments and supplementary material on a regular basis Realize that different subjects require different types of preparation Lecture classes require that you review your notes right after class and preview the new topic just before class; recitation classes, like languages and math, demand more specific study just prior to class. Schedule study/learning sessions to fit your attention span Try studying for 45 minutes and then taking a ten-minute exercise break. Begin each study session with goal setting Predict specifically what you want to accomplish and then work to meet your goals Study difficult and/or complex material first Leave routine tasks and more mechanical tasks for last Vary subjects and types of study for maximum efficiency Within a study session do some reading, writing, recitation, etc. to stay interested and alert. Schedule periodic review sessions To remember material over a long period of time, you must review the information often. Use all of your available time Even small bits of time, like waiting for the dentist, can be put to use don t be caught without something to read or study. Remember to fit guilt-free free time into your schedule Everyone needs time to relax and unwind, so don t feel guilty about taking time out of your schedule to do just that.