Managing Time

Making The Most Of Your Study Time

• A Personal Time Survey
• Study Hour Formula
• Daily Schedules
• Tips for Saving Time
• Conclusion

Managing Your 168 Hours

Scheduling and managing time wisely is important for the college student. If you miss important appointments and deadlines, you will cause complications to both your academic and social life. The result could be anxiety, frustration, guilt, or other nasty feelings.

This brochure is not going to tell you to study more and socialize less, although sometimes you might want to consider it. Instead, it will suggest how to make the most of your time and personalize time to fit your tastes and activities.

It will also show you how to set your priorities. This is especially pertinent for busy schedules. One way that we will suggest is the daily "to-do list". This brochure will also give you a variety of tips on how to save time and enhance the time that you have.

A Personal Time Survey

To begin managing your time more effectively you first need a clearer idea of how you currently use your time. The personal time survey will help you estimate how much time you now spend in typical activities. To get a more accurate estimate, keep track of how you spend your time for at least a week. Doing this will help you get a clearer understanding of how your time is used. It will also help you identify your time wasters. For now, complete the personal time survey on the next page, to arrive at an estimate of your current time use.

The following survey shows the amount of time you spend on various activities. When taking the survey, estimate the amount of time spent on each item. Once you have this amount, follow the directions given. This will give you the total time spent on the activity in one week. After each item's weekly time has been calculated, add all these times for the grand subtotal. Subtract the subtotal from 168 to find out how many hours you have a week that are available.

Here We Go:

Study Hour Formula

To decide how many hours you need to study each week to get A's, use this rule of thumb. "Study two hours per hour in class for a lighter class, three hours per hour in class for an average class, and four hours per hour in class for a difficult class". For example, basket weaving may be a relatively light 3-hour class. Usually, a person would not do more than 6 hours of work outside class per week. Advanced calculus is usually considered a difficult class, so it might be best to study the proposed 12 hours a week. If more hours are needed, take away some hours from lighter classes, i.e., basket weaving. Using your current classes, fill in the following to determine the time you need for study

Daily Schedules

There are a variety of time schedules or techniques that can fit your personality. These include appointment books, a piece of poster board tacked to a wall, a daily or weekly planner, or 3 x 5 cards, etc. Once you decide upon the style, the next step is construction. It is best to allow spaces for each hour. Use half hours for a busy schedule. First, put down all of the necessities; classes, work, meals, adequate sleep, etc.

Now block in your study time (remember to use the study time formula presented earlier). Schedule study time when you feel energized. Also, it's best to review class notes soon after class. Make sure to schedule in study breaks (about 10 minutes each hour). When enrolling in classes, be realistic on how many hours to take. In order to succeed in your classes, you will need to have the time necessary to study. If you find you do not have time to study and you're not socializing to an extreme, you might want to consider lightening your load. Develop a calendar to keep track of when term papers or projects are due. See the big picture by using a "semester calendar". The key is to plan now and then follow the plan!

Tips For Saving Time

Now that you know how you spend most of your time, look at it. Think about what are your most important activities. Do you have enough time? Chances are that you do not. Below are some tips on how to schedule and budget your time when it seems you just do not have enough.

Do not be a perfectionist

Trying to be a perfect person sets you up for defeat. Nobody can be totally perfect. Difficult tasks usually result in avoidance and procrastination. Perfectionists tend to avoid rather than attempt. You need to set achievable goals, but they should also be challenging. Break difficult tasks into manageable chunks. Don't be afraid to fail. Be willing to "endeavor"!

Learn to say "NO"

For example, an acquaintance of yours would like you to see a movie with him/her tonight. You made social plans for tomorrow with your friends and tonight you were going to study and do laundry. You really are not interested. You want to say no, but you hate turning people down. Politely saying "no" should become a habit. Saying "no" frees up time for the things that are most important and helps you feel in control.

Learn to set priorities

Setting priorities for your responsibilities and commitments is very important. Some people do not know how to set priorities and become procrastinators. Using a "to-do list" places items in order of importance. One method is the ABC list. This list is divided into three sections; A, B, or C. The items placed in the A section are those needed to be done that day. The items placed in the B section need completion within the week. The C section items are those things that need to be done within the month. As the B and C items become more pertinent, they are bumped up to the A or B list. Try it or come up with your own method, but do something to set priorities.

Combine several activities

Another suggestion is to combine several activities into one time slot. While commuting to school, listen to taped notes. This allows up to an hour or two a day of good study review. While showering, make a mental list of the things that need to be done. When you watch T.V., shine your shoes or write letters, etc. These are just suggestions of what you can do to combine your time. There are other ideas you may want to try. Above all, be creative and let time work for you.

Conclusion

After scheduling becomes a habit, you can adjust your schedule. It's better to be precise at first. It is easier to find something to do with extra time than to find extra time to do something. Most importantly, make it work for you. A time schedule that is not personalized and honest is not a time schedule at all.