TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS
WHAT IS TIME MANAGEMENT
Time Management is a set of related common-sense skills that help you to use your time in the
most effective and productive way possible. (mindtools.com/tmintro.html)
Scheduling and managing time wisely are important for the university student. If you miss
important appointments and deadlines you will cause complications to both your academic and
social life. This causes anxiety, frustration, guilt, and other bad feelings.
This brochure is not going to tell you to study more and socialize less, although in some cases
you might want to consider that. Instead, it will suggest how to make the most of your time and
personalize it to fit your tastes and activities.
It will also show you how to set your priorities, and give you a variety of tips on how to save time
and enhance the time that you have.
By using Time Management skills you can learn to:
1 Determine which of the things you do are important, and which can be dropped.
2 Use your time in the most effective way possible.
3 Increase the time in which you work.
4 Control the distractions that waste your time and break your flow.
5 Increase your effectiveness and reduce stress.
By becoming more effective in your use of work time, you can reduce stress by:
1 Being more in control of what you do
2 Being productive and secure at university.
3 Enjoying what you do
4 Giving yourself more quality time to relax and enjoy life outside of university.
Why don’t people manage their time?
Despite the benefits of time management, very many people do not use it. This can be
because:
1 They don’t know about it
2 They are too lazy to plan
3 They enjoy the adrenaline buzz of meeting tight deadlines
4 They enjoy crisis management
The problem with crisis management and tight deadlines is that while they could be fun, they
often lead to high levels of stress, a disrupted private life, tiredness and, occasionally, failure of
projects.
A PERSONAL TIME SURVEY
To begin managing your time you need first a clearer idea of how you now use your time. The
Personal Time Survey will help you to estimate how much time you currently spend in typical
activities. To get a more accurate estimate, you might keep track of how you spend your time for
a week. This will help you get a better idea of how much time you need to prepare for each
subject. It will also help you identify your time wasters. But, for now complete the Personal
Time Survey to get an estimate.
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,
multiply it by seven. 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 total. Subtract this
from 168, the total possible hours per week..
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 = _______
4a Total travel time weekdays _______ x 5 = _______
4b Total travel time weekends _______
5 Number of hours per week for regularly scheduled functions (clubs, church, get-together, 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 in class per week _______
9 Number of average hours per week on socializing, dates, etc. Be honest! _______
Now add up the totals: _______
Subtract the above number from 168______ = _______
The remaining hours are the hours you have allowed for yourself to study.
Study Hour Formula
To determine how many hours you need to study each week to get A’ s, use the following rule of
thumb. Study two hours per hour in class for an easy class, three hours per hour in class for an
average class, and four hours per hour in class for a difficult class, e.g. Advanced calculus is
usually considered a difficult course, so it might be best to study the proposed 12 hours a week.
If more hours are needed, take away some hours form easier courses.
Figure out the time that you need to study by using the above formula for each of your classes.
Easy class credit hours _________ x 2 = _________
Average class credit hours _________ x 3 = _________
Difficult class credit hours _________ x 4 = _________
Total _________
Compare this number to the time you have remaining from the survey. At this point, many
students might find themselves a bit stressed. It is not only the quantity of study time but also
the quality. This formula is a general guideline. Try it for a week, and make adjustments as
needed.
Daily Schedules
There are a variety of time schedules that can fit your personality. These include engagement
books, a piece of poster board tacked to a wall, or 3 x 5 cards. Once you decide upon the style,
the next step is construction. It is best to allow spaces for each hour, and half-hours for a busy
schedule. First, put down all of the necessities: classes, work, meals, etc.
Now block in your study time (remember the study time formula presented earlier) Schedule it
for a time when you are energized.
Also, it’s best to review class notes soon after class. Make sure to schedule in study breaks,
about 10 minutes each hour. Be realistic on how many courses to take . To succeed in your
courses you need to have time to study. If you find you don’t have time to study and you’re not
socializing to an extreme, you might want to consider lightening your load.
TIPS FOR SAVING TIME
Think about the things that are most important to you. 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 don’t have enough.
1 DON’T BE A PERFECTIONIST
Trying to be a perfect person sets you up for defeat. Nobody can be perfect. Difficult tasks
usually result in avoidance and procrastination. You need to set achievable goals, but they
should also be challenging.
2 LEARN TO SAY NO
A friend asked you out tonight, but 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.
3 LEARN TO PRIORITIZE
Prioritizing your responsibilities and engagements is very important. Some people do not know
how to prioritize, and they become procrastinators. 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 that 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, 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 it.
4 COMBINE SEVERAL ACTIVITIES
Another suggestion is to combine several activities into one time spot. 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 a sit-
com, laugh as you pay your bills. These are just suggestions of what you can do to combine your
time, but there are many others. Above all, be creative and let it work for you.
After scheduling becomes a habit, then you can adjust it. 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.
Time Management Principles
1 Since we cannot actually control the passage of time, it makes sense to think of time
management as self management.
Making appropriate choices about how to use time is really what people mean when they say
“time management.” Every day, you make choices about how to best use your time, given the
goals and options you have. Knowing what your goals are and what time is available to you are
the cornerstones of good time/self management.
2 Knowing what is new in your environment can help you manage yourself through time.
The transition to university involves many changes that will take some time to adjust to. In the
first year you will face shrinking class time and an increase in the amount of time that must be
spent in self-directed, independent learning. Moving away from home for the first time, living in
residence, balancing school, work, and a social life also represent potentially new challenges to
managing time. Leaving some unscheduled time unplanned to deal with these changes will help
you manage your time well.
3 Planning tools can assist you in guiding yourself through an as-yet-unknown reality.
Weekly and monthly planners and to-do lists can help you chart a path to your goals. When you
plan around your daily peak times of alertness and energy, construct a realistic schedule with
clear and concrete activities, and use long-range deadlines to guide your planning. As a result,
you will manage your time with less stress and procrastination.
4 The biggest time-saver is to start now.
Keeping on top of your work from the beginning of the year will save you many hours of work
and the stress of last minute preparation. Read the syllabus and course outline as a guide to each
of your courses during the first week of class, in order to know what to focus on in your work.
Do your readings on time and attend all lectures and tutorials , – to avoid scrambling around
looking for notes or library books at the last minute. Review your work at intervals to
consolidate your learning, so that you do not have to cram before exams.
5 A balanced load is easier to carry.
It is important to alot time for the various aspects of your life. Write down clear goals for school,
exercise, relaxation, and socializing, and make time in your schedule for each of these important
life components. While you want to make sure you do not take on too much, balancing your load
will keep you mentally and physically energetic.
6 Learn to use time that would otherwise escape you. Using commuting time in line-ups and
waiting time to complete important, but small activities, can add up to huge time savings and
greater productivity. Keep some reading or cue cards handy, with study materials written on
them, to use when these little pockets of time open up.
DO YOUR BEST AND TRUST GOD TO DO THE REST.
Information taken from material prepared by the Self-Development Centre
A Service of the Counselling and Student Development Centre
George Mason University, Student Union I Room 350
http//www.yorku.ca/cdc/lsp/tm/tm6.htm
and
http//www.mindtools.com/tmintro.html
Compiled by Millicent Page, March 2002
for
NCU Counselling and Psychological Services Centre, Mandeville, Jamaica.
Telephone 625-6516 or 962-2204-7
ext. 2266
