Time Management

In this lesson, you will:

• Discover time management basics
• Explore the effects of procrastination
• Consider tips on time management
• Learn about resources for time management

Self-Assessment:

Before you read the lesson, respond to the following True/False statements. You will find the answers to the questions at the end of this module.

1. Effective time management will help lessen the amount of stress in your life.
2. Procrastinators cannot change. Some people just work better under pressure.
3. People who manage time well are often people who write down their goals.
4. If you tend to "cram" for exams, you may need to work on your time management skills.
5. A task that is due soon is a lower priority than one that is due later.
6. If you have a large task to do, you should schedule a large block of time and complete it in one sitting if at all possible.
7. The earlier you begin a task, the sooner it will be finished.
8. You should schedule more important tasks for your peak energy times.
9. Use your schedule only for work and school activities.
10. Time management skills are transferableable to be used in a variety of situations skills.

Time Management Basics

How often have you wondered: where did the time go? It may seem that you had days to prepare a project or finish a paper, but before you know it, that project or paper is due and you're nowhere near ready.

As a college student, your life is extremely busy. You may have classes, school work, friends, family, athletics and a job all demanding a piece of your time. It can be overwhelming. That's why learning and utilizing time management skills can help you be more successful in all aspects of your life. Not only will you experience greater success, but you will reduce the amount of stress in your daily life.

So what is time management? Time management is the process of planning the best way to organize the things that you need and want to do so that you can accomplish them. Effective time management is a skill that is learned and, if used regularly, can be improved on.

Scenario #1

Lisette took 18 hours of rigorous academic work one term. She also started a 20-hour a week job. In addition, her sister had a small child and wanted Lisette to come babysit on weekends. What happened to Lisette's life?

1. She got sick a lot that term.
2. Her grades dropped.
3. She had difficulty performing her duties at work.
4. All of the above.

ANSWERBest Answer:
D. Lisette had too much stress in her life. Stress can cause illness. It can make concentration difficult. It can cause depression and any number of other problems. Lisette learned her lesson. She took fewer hours the next term, trimmed her work schedule and explained to her sister that she could only watch her child one day on the weekend. Her health, grades and level of happiness improved dramatically.

How Well Do You Manage Time?

Up until now, you may not have paid much attention to the issue of time management. In order to discover just how you spend your time, keep track of your activities for a period of two to three days. Record everything you do in half-hour increments. How much of your time is spent in productive activities, and how much do you spend in idle conversation, watching television, or looking for items you've misplaced?

Read the following questions to gauge how effective you are at managing time:

1. Are you usually on time for classes, work and appointments?
2. Do you set aside time to study, read ahead or work on projects?
3. Are you able to complete assignments and projects on time?
4. Do you write down your goals?
5. Do you keep a to-do list of things you wish to accomplish on a daily basis?

If you answered yes to the above questions, then you generally have good time management skills.

1. Do you engage in social activities when you should be studying or preparing for work?
2. Do you cram at the last minute for exams?
3. Are you often late to class or work?
4. Do you feel stressed by the amount of things you need to get done?
5. Does dealing with unusual circumstances, such as sorting out financial aid, getting extra tutoring, or seeking a professor during office hours seriously disrupt your routine?

If you answered yes to the above questions, then you need to learn some basic time management.

Procrastination

One of the biggest obstacles to effective time management is procrastination. Procrastinators put tasks off until the last possible moment, and usually they don't do nearly as well as they would have done if they'd gotten an early start on the task. And yet they often believe that they work better "under pressure." In fact, they aren't working better. They're simply working harder (and probably sloppier).

There are some simple tools for eliminating procrastination from your life.

1. Make an assessment of how you spend your time. Everyone needs a little "down time" but has your down time grown into hours of playing video games or watching television? If so, it's time to prioritize and put limits on these "time killers."

   When working on projects online, you need to be very careful of online time killers. Some more examples might be: Chat rooms Instant messaging Virtual worlds Online shopping or auctions

2. Break up longer tasks into smaller portions. If you have a major project, divide it into manageable chunks and set a certain amount of time for each piece.
3. Create self-imposed deadlines. You think you work well under pressure? Then make a deadline for yourself. Example: "I must finish my reading material before work tomorrow." If you do that, then you'll have time to process the material and go over it again for fuller comprehension before it is actually due.

   Being able to work well under pressure does have its benefits. To thrive in the following careers you need to possess the ability to handle high stress situations: Air traffic controller 911 operators Paramedics Emergency room doctors

4. Use the buddy system. Ask someone to help you meet your self-imposed deadlines.

The truth is that most people are neither good nor bad when it comes to time management. There are times when they manage their time well and other times when they don't.

Organizing Your Time

In order to become an effective time manager, you must recognize how your time is being spent. A time journal is a great way to record how you are using your time. You can keep track of what you do, when you do it and how long it takes. Are there any unnecessary activities that are eating up valuable time? What about wasted energy? Can you combine tasks so that errands are accomplished more efficiently?

The following articles will outline effective ways to maximize the potential of your daily planner or time journal:

• How to Use Your Day Planner for Maximum Efficiency, Organization
• Organize Your Time With a Day Planner

Prioritizing Methods

There are two "tried and true" methods for prioritizing your tasks. Using one of these approaches will help you decide which tasks to complete first, second and so on.

1. The Dump and Sift Model or Long-list/Short-list Approach:
   Create a list of all the things you have to do two or more weeks from now and then reduce that list to a new list that shows all you need to do this week.
2. The ABC Method: Make your goal or task list and sort each item into:
   A = highest priority (must do soon)
   B = would be good to do
   C = optional or not yet

Make a Daily To-Do List

• The most effective way to accomplish all the things you need to do is to make a list of what you will do each day. This can be done first thing in the morning, the night before or even a few days before.
• The most effective way to accomplish all the things you need to do is to make a list of what you will do each day. This can be done first thing in the morning, the night before or even a few days before.
• Prioritize your tasks. When you do the high priority items first, you take the pressure off yourself. The priority should be based on: (1) when the task must be completed (the sooner they are due, the higher the priority); (2) which tasks must be accomplished before others can be done and (3) how much time the task will take to accomplish (those tasks which take longer to complete are higher priority).
• Break large tasks down into manageable pieces. The idea of writing a 20-page paper may seem overwhelming. However, writing an introduction to a 20-page paper is an easier task to accomplish. Doing a little at a time instead of doing everything in one marathon session is less stressful, helps you absorb more of the material when you are studying, and usually results in better work on projects and papers.
• Make time allotments for each task. If you know that you will only work for one hour on a project, you will tend to waste less time.
• Start early and work steadily. The earlier you begin a task, the sooner it will be finished and the more time you will have to handle problems that may arise.

Use a Weekly Calendar

One of the most effective time management tools you can use is a weekly schedule. Creating a weekly schedule forces you to make decisions and gets your plan out of your head and on paper.

Use a calendar to create a weekly schedule. You can find calendars on many computer programs. Here are some tips for keeping a weekly schedule:

• Schedule fixed commitments, such as classes, employment and appointments first. You can arrange errands, flexible tasks and social time around your priorities.
• When are you at your peak? Schedule your most important/energy intensive tasks during this time. For example, if you are a morning person, schedule work that requires greater concentration and focus for mornings and more mundaneordinary activities for the afternoon.

  Are you a day person or a night person? The following article looks at different reasons people may be "owls" or "larks" in their daily lives: Why some of us are early risers

You can use software such as Microsoft Outlook to help plan your days, weeks, and even years in advance. Outlook is an industry standard email/time management solution used in today's workforce.

Scenario #2

Morris had his day all planned. Since he wasn't scheduled to work that day, he was going to study in the morning for his history exam later that day, have lunch with a friend, and work on a project that afternoon. Then a co-worker emailed him and said she was very sick. She asked if he would go in and work in her place that morning. He knew the supervisor would be calling him soon with the same question. Assuming Morris has pretty good time management skills, what would he do?

• He should pretend he didn't get the email and not answer the phone.
• He should help out at work and ask his supervisor to write a note to his history professor, asking if he could take the test at a later time.
• Cancel his lunch date and offer to work for a couple of hours that morning while looking for someone else to fill in. He might also shorten the time he planned to spend on his project that afternoon.

ANSWERBest Answer:
C. Morris should first explain his situation to his supervisor. If someone else can do the work, then that would be the best option. However, if Morris is the only one able to help, he can still give some time to fill in for his sick co-worker because he would have already done a large portion of his studying. He also would have given himself extra time for the afternoon project, and so he could easily make up that time at a later date. Lastly, because Morris rarely cancels on his friends, his friend would understand that it must be very important for him to do so and would happily give him a rain check.

In Summary

Time management is a transferable skill that employers value, and one that you will value as well as you see how it improves your ability to function effectively in your professional, academic and personal life. You have to use it to learn it and to get better at it. To get the most out of your college and work experience, it is important to learn how to effectively manage your time. Moreover, learning to effectively manage your time can help you for the rest of your life.

Self-Assessment

Now that you've read this module, take the self-assessment again and see how well you do:

1. Effective time management will help lessen the amount of stress in your life.
   ANSWERTrue.
2. Procrastinators cannot change. Some people just work better under pressure.
   ANSWERFalse. It may seem that they work better under pressure, but their work is generally not at the level it would be if they took more time with it.
3. People who manage time well are often people who write down their goals.
   ANSWERTrue. People who write down their goals understand their priorities and are likely to waste less time.
4. If you tend to "cram" for exams, you may need to work on your time management skills.
   ANSWERTrue.
5. A task that is due soon is a lower priority than one that is due later.
   ANSWERFalse. Generally, the sooner a task is due, the higher it should be on your priority list.
6. If you have a large task to do, you should schedule a large block of time and complete it in one sitting if at all possible.
   ANSWERFalse. You should break the task up into manageable chunks.
7. The earlier you begin a task, the sooner it will be finished.
   ANSWERTrue.
8. You should schedule more important tasks for your peak energy times.
   ANSWERTrue.
9. Use your schedule only for work and school activities.
   ANSWERFalse. Don't forget to schedule in time for social and recreational activities.
10. Time management skills are transferable skills.
    ANSWERTrue.