Scheduling Your Time for Success “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” Michael Altshuler

“Maybe I should become an actress…”

Schedule + System = SUCCESS! We need a schedule FIRST before we establish a system. GOAL: Create a workable schedule. This starts with evaluating how you currently use your time (Part 1 of the Time Management Assignment.) RATIONALE: Let’s do the math… It is expected that a nursing student is required to spend 2 hours for every credit hour they are taking, in study, each week. Calculate how much time, based on your course load, you should be studying…

Where to Find the Time?!?! Most students have a spouse, significant other, or children who need or expect some of that time. Is there really enough time… let’s see… About 50% of nursing students report that they spend 10 hours or less in study!

“Attrition is a serious issue among Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students with attrition rates around 50% nationwide.” (Newton & Moore, 2006)

A Snap Shot Available Hours Per Week 168 hours Average time in class Required study hours for success 30 hours Clinical work and care plans 14 hours Sleep (average 7 hrs/night) 49 hours Everything else… 60 hours

Now we’ve already dropped our 60 hrs down to 36 hrs. Other Considerations Commuting (1-2 hrs/day) Work (12-24 hrs/week) Now we’ve already dropped our 60 hrs down to 36 hrs. Spouse, significant other, kids, family, friends, hygiene, eating, shopping, exercise, laundry, cleaning house…

In-Class Exercise: Estimate On a piece of paper, write down the following, in _______hours per day _________hours per week How much time do you spend in rest and recreation (movies, TV, dancing, hobbies, pleasure activities, etc)? How many hours do you spend in lectures and clinicals? How many hours do you spend in personal study? How many hours do you spend in study groups? How many hours do you spend in maintenance activities (housework, chores, shopping, etc.)? How many hours do sleep on average per night?

At Home Exercise: Reality Check Fill out the baseline Time-Recording sheet for one full week and upload copy to drop box by midnight next Thursday. Tips: when calculating your study time, don’t count it as a full hour unless it was 50 minutes or more. Why? How often do we take “a break” from studying and then find our selves getting distracted?

Schedule + System = SUCCESS Part 2 of Time management Exercise (PLAN!) Plan your Study Time Scheduling Study Periods Exercise and Breaks Managing your Schedule Plan Enough Time for SLEEP Schedule times for friends and family.

Tips to Save Time Do 2 maintenance or R&R activities at the same time . Many of the “things I HAVE to do” can be accomplished in less time, IF you are willing to change your style. Keep lists for all of your regular activities. Always carry your planner with you. Use “Post-It” notes. Everything has it’s place, everything in it’s place. Study groups… the good-bad-ugly truth.

Setting boundaries. “Time is the most valuable coin in your life. You and you alone will determine how that coin will be spent. Be careful that you do not let other people spend it for you.” ― Carl Sandburg