|
BASIC PRINCIPLES
STUDY SCHEDULE TIMING AND TIPS
INTERNAL TIME WASTERS
BASIC PRINCIPLES FOR TIME MANAGEMENT
- Find a plan that works for you and use it. There are many ways to
plan your time. Plans can be by the day, by the week, by the month,
or in a "to do" list format. It is important to try different ones
to find your own style.
- Develop a realistic schedule. Write down all the tasks that you do
regularly, including watching TV, doing laundry, walking to class,
etc.
- Identify the problem tasks. What are you leaving undone, doing inadequately,
or putting off? Make a list and be specific. Ask yourself questions: Why
don't I want to do this job? If I don't enjoy this task, is it possible
for someone else to do it? What happens if I procrastinate on this
task?
- Make the task meaningful. List the benefits of completing the task.
Write down your reasons for doing it. Relate the task to your goals
and be specific about the payoff and rewards.
- Break big jobs into small, manageable parts. Make each task something
you can accomplish in 15 minutes or less. Make the result measurable
so you can see your progress. Example: Break down a long reading assignment
into two or three page sections. List the sections and then cross off
each section as you complete it. Give yourself a visual experience
of getting something done.
- Write an intention statement. Carry it with you, post it, and make
sure you see it often and regularly.
- Announce your time plan. Tell your friends, your roommate, and your
parents. Make the world your support group.
- Just do it! Plunge into the task. Gradual immersion can be slow torture.
It is often less painful to just take a leap!
- Use your "prime" times. Identify the times of the day when you are
at your best or are the most creative. Set that time aside for serious
work to accomplish the tasks. Keep a tally of hours actually spent
on various tasks.
- Be honest with yourself. When you notice yourself continually pushing
a task into the low-priority category, re-examine the purpose for doing
it at all.
- Create an agenda for each day. This gives direction and a sense of
accomplishment at the end of the day.
- Schedule flexible time, time which is left open for spontaneous planning.
- Reward yourself with something that you would genuinely withhold
from yourself if you do not complete the task. Reward yourself for
starting and completing the small tasks on the way to the final product.
Back to the Top
STUDY SCHEDULE TIMING AND TIPS
- Plan your study time. This will help discourage procrastination. Remember
to plan at least two hours for every hour spent in class. Pick the times
you work best for the most difficult subject. Use daytime hours for studying
when possible. Staying home to study, but getting nothing done, doesn't
count.
- Know when you work best. Are you a morning person? Study in the early
hours and do everything else later. If you can't function well on three
hours of sleep, avoid having to stay up late. If you tend to fall asleep
after lunch, schedule physical activities rather than reading or other
comprehensive tasks.
- Predict the amount of time needed for each assignment. By timing your
assignments, you are more likely to concentrate and less likely to become
bored. See how long it takes to read five pages of the textbook. This will
help you estimate the time needed to complete a reading assignment. You
may need to read some sections more than once. Allow time for reflecting
on what you read.
- Plan time for review. Every time you study, spend ten minutes in review
of previous assignments. These "refresher shots" are the secret for long-term
memory. Since learning is cumulative, new ideas must be incorporated with
previous learning from lectures, readings, assignments, or labs.
- Utilize those hours between classes for study. Try to study for a lecture
course as soon as possible after the class. If necessary, review and revise,
not recopy, your lecture notes before beginning the next subject. For a
recitation or discussion course, schedule your study time as soon before
the class as you can. Use the library or a vacant classroom near your next
class to avoid wasting time.
- Schedule time wisely. Don't schedule yourself to study two similar subjects
back to back. Material that is too similar becomes jumbled in the head.
Go from Math to English rather than to chemistry, for example.
- More is not always better. After studying about forty minutes, take a
five-minute break. This refreshes your mind so that you can concentrate
better and finish faster. Set a time to quit. This puts an end in sight
and pushes you to get work done by a certain time. Don't cram the night
before a test. Instead spread your study time out over shorter periods
of time.
- Schedule a vacation. Allow one afternoon or one whole day during
each week that you do not study. Give yourself a recuperation day.
Back to the Top
INTERNAL TIME WASTERS
- Inability to say "NO!" Don't be afraid to tell your friends not to call
or stop by during certain times of the day. You can zero in on the tasks
you need to complete, and then be free to enjoy your friends at your convenience.
- Lack of objectives and priorities. If you don't know where you are going
or what you must do first, you will never get to your goal.
- Responding to the urgency of something rather than the importance. Maybe
you don't need that special pair of pants washed if your time is limited.
- Personal disorganization. Beware of messy work areas, poor record-keeping
systems, and poor scheduling of activities.
- Leaving tasks unfinished. Failure to complete a task results in additional
start up time and reorganization time. Don't begin a new task until the
previous one is completed.
- Negative feelings. Stop complaining that you dislike a subject or professor,
or that you "can't do" an assignment. This wastes valuable energy you could
be using to accomplish your tasks
Back to the Top
|
 |
|