Time Management

Time Management What is it? Making sure that you are working on the right things. Balancing how you spend your time. Doing a lot more in less time.

The Present When I say, the present, I’m actually NOT talking about what you got for Christmas or your last birthday. I’m talking about NOW. So what are some tasks that take up your day right now? Write down a list of things that you must complete in a day. 3

$86,400 If you were given this much money every day what would you do with it? Where do you think I got this number? This is the number of seconds in a day. If you were to have this amount of money, you’d want to spend it wisely, right? Well the same goes for your time. You’ll want to spend your time wisely. What would you do? 3

Planning Schedule your time effectively. Set goals. Prioritize responsibilities. Manage interruptions. Avoid procrastination. Just like you plan how to budget your paycheck, you need to plan how to budget your time. http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_88.htm 3

Schedule Your Time Effectively Survey how you spend your time to determine if you’re spending your time effectively. Find a system that works for you Allow for flexibility Schedule yourself rewards Studying six hours a week for one class sounds pretty daunting right? The key to being able to get that time in is to schedule your time effectively. System—you might want a paper calendar, you might use your iPhone, you might sync everything together and have 25 copies of your schedule. The important thing is to find what works for you. Flexibility—we can’t schedule everything—there is always something that will crop up at the last minute. If you leave some gaps in your schedule, you will better able to deal with something unexpected. Rewards—who wants to look a calendar that’s filled with work, homework, and other chores?? NO ONE. Rewards yourself with time with friends, time to watch your favorite tv show or leave blank space that can be filled with whatever.

What did you do last week? Give class some time to fill out schedule. Talk to a few individuals to find out what they spent the most of their time doing. Ask if there are times that they can’t account for. Would those be times that you can schedule more effectively? 3

Set Goals Set motivational goals Set SMART goals Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Time-bound Put your goals in writing Make a plan of action Stick with it! http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_90.htm What are some examples of “bad goals” and “good goals”? Why is one set more achievable than the others?

What are your time management goals for this semester? For this year? For the next ten years? Give students a few minutes to set goals for how much they will study, how much time they will spend with children/spouse/friends etc., how much time they will give themselves for a paper.

Is the jar full? Let’s step away from time management for a minute and let me ask you is this jar full? Give students time to answer. If there is a disagreement, ask students to explain their answers.

Is the jar full now? So we’ve filled in the gaps with more finely ground gravel or sand. So we’ve filled up the jar now right? Do we have room to squeeze anything else in?

What about now? So how do you think these images represent the importance of prioritizing your time? What would happen if you put the water in first? **If you put the water in first, you won’t be able to fit the big rocks in; when you put the water in first, the big rocks will force water all over the table making a big mess. The same thing happens if you spend your time on smaller, less important tasks right? But if you put the most important (or bigger) things first, you will have room for the smaller things.

How much should you study? On average is 2 hours per credit hour. So now that we’ve talked about prioritizing your tasks, let’s discuss one of the most important tasks that you as a student will have to make time for. Ask the question, get a few answers, and then show them the response. Call on a few students and ask how many hours they are taking, then do the math to tell them about how many hours they should spend studying. Then revisit their schedule and see when they might be able to work in study time. On average is 2 hours per credit hour. 3

Manage Interruptions Minimize the disruption. the possibility for interruptions. We can all schedule time to study with the best intentions, but how often will be able to schedule large chunks of uninterrupted time? Very seldom right? There are always things we cannot plan for—big and small. So what are some interruptions that might keep you from staying on schedule—let’s talk about the small things here rather than an earth changing tsunami or finding out your wife went into labor. How do you manage these things? Minimize the possiblity—try to have someone else watch your kids or place an older child in charge. Study in the library where its less likely you’ll be distracted. Minimize—don’t let it completely throw you off. Return to work as soon as possible.

Procrastination Identify bad habits b)Beware of filler tasks c)Avoid efficiency traps 3

Avoiding Procrastination Set early deadlines for yourself. Have a friend or family member hold you accountable. Put yourself in an environment where filler tasks can’t distract you.

What have you learned today about time management? What will you do differently in the future? At end, have someone recap some of the main points. Have students define time management, have students give a few techniques for effectively planning their time, have students answer how many hours they should spend studying per credit hour (in other words, prepare them for the post test!)

El Centro College Learning Center for additional help with Drop by the El Centro College Learning Center for additional help with Time Management Room A350 214-860-2133

Carnegie Mellon University Credits: El Centro Learning Center Jaime Hurtado University of Wisconsin-Parkside Carnegie Mellon University www.timethoughts.com