Disability Support Service Time Management UCD DSS Study Skills Sessions

Learning Outcomes Assess how well you organise your time Reflect on working habits Organise your day more effectively Plan your work on a long-term basis.

Where do I start? Assess your current planning –Exercise: How well do you plan? Recognise your strengths and weaknesses Ask where does your time go? –Exercise: Make a log of activities for the last few days Where was time wasted? Could I have saved time? Move forward with more focus and commitment

Managing Time How do you spend your time? –Diary log –Wasted time –Home responsibilities –Prioritise activities –Manage interruptions –Workload outside college –Recreation and exercise –Sleep –socialising

Managing Time Getting Organised! –Make to-do lists –Set realistic daily targets –Prioritise daily targets –Allow review time of tasks daily –Re-schedule uncompleted tasks for the next day –Get a diary and year planner –Tackle one task at a time

Managing Time –Clump similar tasks together (e.g. tasks to be done in the library) –Break large tasks into smaller manageable ones –Overestimate rather than underestimate time needed for a task –Organise lecture notes daily –Summarise notes from lectures and tutorials daily

How do I learn best? Are you a sprinter or a marathon worker? Where do I learn best? When do I learn best? What aids do I need? –Visual –Auditory –Kinaesthetic Am I relying too heavily on rote learning? Have I planned activities other than study and college?

Types of Planning Short-term (daily) schedules Weekly schedules Long-term schedules Study plans Activity plans Life plans

Elements of Planning Time-tables To-do lists Checklists Systems Study Tools –Summaries –Flash cards –Mind maps –Etc.

Time Commitment Contact Hours –Lectures –Tutorials –labs Review Reading Time Revision Assignments

Goal Setting: S.M.A.R.T. Specific Measurable –Numbers and time Achievable Resourced –materials Time based –Exercise: Write a SMART goal

Effective Time Management Plan enough time for study Study at the same time each day Make use of free hours during college day Plan study periods to follow class periods Space study periods (50-90minutes) Plan weekly reviews Leaved unscheduled time for flexibility

Procrastination Take Action Break task into manageable pieces Do something related- backdoor Tackle the boring and difficult first Make a commitment

Dealing with Procrastination When procrastination arises- –Describe the problem –What is the source of the problem? –What is the reason for the problem? –Can you set a solution goal? –What are your practical options? –What are the advantages of your options? –What are the disadvantages of your options?