The A, B, C’s of
Time Management
Summer 2013
Getting More Miles Per Gallon
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Think of the hours in your week
as the gas in your car
You all have the same size gas
tank yet…..
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Some get much further on their
tank of gas than others
To get more MPG you have to
work smarter not harder
A = Attendance
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Every hour of time you spend in
class saves you 3 hours of study
time
If you’re going to cut corners,
don’t skip class
B = Budgeting Time
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We all get 168 hours per week
Being a student is a full time job
Keep a calendar to plan out all your
weekly activities
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Classes
Projects
Clinicals
Reading
Study time (2-3 hour blocks)
Exams
And all other outside commitments
Break projects into small pieces
C = Clutter
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Procrastination, clutter, and
confusion go together
Don’t put things ‘down’ put them
‘away’
The semester leaves no time for
procrastination
Eliminate distractions
Do one thing at a time
Clear study area of clutter
Use your wastebasket
D = Dirty Jobs
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Look at ‘to do’ list for the day
and circle the thing you dread
doing most ----Do it first
 If you postpone it will hurt your
concentration all day and then
you’ll procrastinate till tomorrow
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E = Efficiency vs. Effectiveness
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Efficiency is the process of doing
something right
Effectiveness is doing the right thing
the right way
Decide what needs to be done and
do it the right way
Tips for personal effectiveness
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Meet basic human needs
Plan frequently
Take breaks
De-clutter and organize work area
Study in quiet place without
interruptions
Handle papers only once
F = Filing System
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Be organized – don’t waste time
looking for things
Disorganization is a big time waster
Have one notebook for all classes or
designated folders for each class.
Think of your brain as a filing
system
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You can’t just throw things in the
general direction of your brain and
expect to find it in the file later
G = Goal Oriented
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Identify your goal and write it
down
Write down ways to reach your
goal
Focus your time and energy on
that goal for maximum effect
H = Hang In There
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Finish the work at hand no
matter how attractive doing the
laundry becomes
Active avoidance and passive
procrastination cost you lots of
valuable time
Reward yourself for completing
your task at hand
I = Investments
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Think of class attendance,
library time, and study sessions
as deposits
Repeated small deposits add up
to big rewards (A’s on exams)
and store information into long
term memory
Cramming goes to short term
memory only
J = Jot It Down
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Make lists and use them
Make a list each evening for the
following day
 Make it manageable and realistic
 Rank in order of importance
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Will keep you organized and
help you avoid wasted motion
K = Knocking Off
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When you reach a point of
diminishing returns stop doing
what you’re doing.
It’s a waste of time to go for
perfectionism
L = Log
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Keep an activity log (q 15
minutes) for 3 days to see how
you spend your time
Tells you about
Interruptions
 How organized you are
 When you are most productive
 How you waste time
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Everyday make a color coded
prioritized plan
M = Multitasking
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Cook the week’s meals in one day
and freeze
Barter services
Don’t procrastinate = more weekend
and evening time
Study at school immediately after
class
Avoid busywork – don’t major in
minor activities
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It gives a false sense of accomplishment
Don’t take pride in your efforts –
Take pride in the results
N = No
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Learn how to say it
The greatest time saving device
ever invented
O = Other People’s Time
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Know how to divide chores and
delegate everything you
possibly can
If relying on other people’s time
plan far ahead
P = Prime Time
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Everyone has 2-4 hours each
time when they are in top form
Find your prime time and protect
it – don’t procrastinate
Use it for high priority items that
demand concentration and
focus
Q = Questions
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Several times each day ask
yourself the following questions:
Is this the best use of my time
right now?
 Is this activity helping me achieve
one of my goals?
 If I didn’t do this, what would
happen?
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R = Regrets
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Don’t waste time mourning what
might have been or wallowing in
guilt or self pity
Learn how to acknowledge the
disappointment and move on to
the next opportunity
S = Study Tools
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Have everything you need to
study handy
Books
 Notes
 pens / paper
 Resources
 etc
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T = Tomorrow
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Tomorrow never comes
DO IT TODAY!
U = Urgency
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Urgent things are not always
important
Important things are not always
urgent
Ignore the pseudo-important
things that clamor for your
attention
V = Vacillating
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Be decisive
If you give yourself a deadline –
stick to it
If you decide your study time is
2:00 – 4:00 then do it.
W = Wasters
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Identify Time Wasters
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Children, family, spouse, friends,
phone, etc.
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Personal Disorganization
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Use lists, calendars, planners
Downtime
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Plan breaks for this socialization
Keep notebook, study materials
handy at all times
What are your time wasters?
X = Xeroxing
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Keep copies of all your
important papers and
assignments
Photocopy anything you may
want to carry with you for quick
moments of time to study
Y = Yakety Yak
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Don’t let the phone or a drop in
visitor ruin your study time.
“I can’t talk right now but I’ll call
you back at 9”
Leave message on your phone
“I’m unavailable until 6 and I’ll
get back to you then”
Z = ZZZZZZZ’s
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Schedule rest and relaxation
periods
Get the sleep you need so you
are sharp and thinking clearly
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Now…..
Let’s plan your semester!