UNIVERSITY OF PUGET SOUND
CENTER FOR WRITING, LEARNING, AND TEACHING
Using a Weekly Time Chart Effectively
Not enough time?
168 hours in a week
- 56 hours of sleep (8 hours per night are usually adequate)
- 21 hours of eating (allow time to eat, relax, and socialize)
- 20 hours of attending classes and labs
= 71 hours/week or 10 hours/day for study, recreation, and everything else.
Make a schedule!
It can work like a charm in cutting down on tensions, worries, and daydreams. Far from making a robot of
you, a time schedule frees you from making top-level decisions constantly thus allowing you to make the
best use of your time. Here’s how it works:
1. Fill in the time slots with the name and course number of each of your classes.
2. Fill in other fixed activities: meals, work, extracurricular commitments, sleep, etc.
3. Determine amount of time needed weekly to study for each class (usually 2 hours of study for each
hour in class) and note on sheet.
4. List other activities (exercising, socializing, personal care, housekeeping, etc.) and approximate
amount of time (weekly) you want to devote to them.
5. Consider personal factors that may impact your studying and scheduling:
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•
•
Time of day you are most alert
Where you study
Ability to stay on a task despite distractions, etc.
6. Schedule study times on chart, considering above personal factors and the following:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
30-50 minutes is the maximum amount of time most people can concentrate before needing a 5-10
minute break. As you begin work, jot down the time you expect to finish; when you're through, reward
yourself with a brief break: move around, talk to a friend, drink water, eat a snack...whatever is good
for you.
Allow larger blocks of time for learning new material, grasping concepts, drafting a theme, etc. Divide
these larger blocks of time into definite subparts the length of your concentration span (20 minutes?
30? 10?)
Use short periods of time (15 to 45 minutes) to review. It's especially wise to spend a few minutes
reviewing immediately BEFORE a class involving discussion or recitation. Immediately AFTER a
lecture class spend a few minutes reviewing your notes.
Schedule more difficult study tasks when you are most alert and can concentrate best.
Do something daily -- don't let it all pile up!
Plan to really learn the first time; the rest of your study time should be spent reviewing through
recitation, discussion, making up and answering possible test questions, etc.
Approximately 90% of new information is forgotten within 24 hours unless it is reviewed
Be sure to include time for long term assignments (term papers, exams) and unexpected demands.
7. Schedule a daily 5-minute "personal planning session" for:
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•
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Reviewing your time chart
Determining specific tasks to be accomplished that day
Establishing priorities for their completion
8. Follow the completed chart for one week and then evaluate its effectiveness and appropriateness.
Revise it as necessary, both at the end of the week and periodically during the semester.
Weekly Schedule
Monday
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Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Academic
Goals
Semester Planner
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