Slide 1:
Hello and welcome to the Time Management: Planning and Prioritizing workshop. As a college student,
you may have noticed that you have more “free” time than you did in high school. If you need help with
planning and budgeting your time, this is the workshop for you.
Slide 2:
This workshop will provide you with tools and tips to manage your time outside of the classroom.
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You will learn how to plan and prioritize your tasks, and how to utilize different types of
schedules to manage your time effectively. Organizing and using your time wisely will help you
create a path to becoming a successful college student.
Slide 3:
You may have noticed that how you spend your time in college is different from how your time was
spent in high school.
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In high school your time was structured for you,
but in college you are responsible for managing your own time.
While you were in class about 6 hours a day (or about 30 hours per week) in high school,
you will only be in class for 12 to 18 hours each week in college. Instead of classes being back to
back, you may have chunks of time between them. Or you may have some classes in the
evening. However, one of the biggest adjustments will be the amount of time you are expected
to study outside of class in college.
While you may have studied up to 2 hours per week for each class in high school,
in college you are expected to study 2-3 hours outside of class for each hour that you are in the
class. If you are taking 15 credit hours, this will be 30-45 hours of studying per week. So it is
important to plan your study time wisely.
Slide 4:
It may be helpful for you to think about a typical week for this semester.
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In the resources links on this website, there is an Excel spreadsheet for you to calculate how you
are spending your time on a weekly basis. You may want to access it to complete this activity.
How much time do you spend sleeping each night? It is highly recommended that you get about
8 hours of sleep each night.
How about eating? Be sure to include any time preparing for your meal as well.
How much time are you in class or labs each week?
How much time do you study outside of class? Remember that you should be studying 2-3
hours for each hour you are in the classroom.
Do you have a job? How many hours do you work each week?
What else do you need to include?
If your total is more than 168 hours, than you are currently overcommitted. You need to prioritize some
of your activities.
Slide 5:
To prioritize your activities, it may be helpful to think about a typical day.
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How do you get everything done in a 24 hour day? Consider the 8-8-8 formula. If you plan for 8
hours of sleep and dedicate 8 hours to your coursework, then you have 8 hours of leisure time.
If on a typical weekday, you are in class an average of 3 hours, then you have 5 hours outside of
class to study. This accounts for 25 hours of your weekly study outside of class. So you should
plan to study 5-20 hours each weekend to reach the 30-45 hour expectation.
Slide 6:
If you have other commitments, such as a part time job or are a varsity athlete, you have to devote a
significant amount of time to these commitments. You should not borrow time from your coursework
or sleep to accomplish these tasks.
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You will need to borrow the time from the 8 hours that you have set aside for leisure. Here are
some examples of how you would allocate your time.
Slide 7:
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Let’s look at some schedules that will help you complete all your tasks in a timely manner. The
semester schedule is helpful because it gives you an overview of the entire semester. You
should record the dates of all your tests, papers, projects, and events on this schedule.
The weekly schedule allows you to plan the details of your upcoming week.
The daily to do list is a portable, prioritized list of things you need to accomplish for that day.
Each schedule has its benefits and using a combination of these 3 schedules may be the best way to
plan. It is important that you choose a planner that will work best for you.
Slide 8:
Let’s start by creating a Semester schedule. A semester schedule is available for you to download in the
resources link on this website.
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To create a Semester schedule:
First be sure to have all your course syllabi.
Enter the date for each quiz, paper, test, and assignment that is listed in your syllabi.
Record any important events: any trips you have planned, out of town guests, special work
obligations, etc. Now you can see when the busy times during the semester will be, and will be
able to plan ahead for these busy times.
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Be sure to post this schedule in a prominent place, where you will see it often.
Finally, update it as needed.
Slide 9:
Here is a sample Semester schedule. Note that the course commitments, as well as other special events
are noted on this schedule. It looks like the week of September 23 will be very busy for this student.
Since she is visiting home the weekend before, she will need to plan ahead so that her papers are
written and she is prepared for the tests.
Slide 10:
Creating a weekly schedule will allow you to allocate your time for a specific week. You can download a
blank weekly schedule in the resource links. It has each day divided into 30 minute increments, so you
can track how you utilize your time.
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First you should enter you fixed obligations: class times, work shifts, meetings, meals, sleep, etc.
Next schedule your study time—be sure to schedule 2-3 hours for each hour you are in the
classroom.
Finally, schedule your leisure time—prioritize naps, socializing, exercising, going out, etc.
Try to maintain a balance between study, work, and recreation.
Slide 11:
Here are some additional tips for creating your weekly schedule.
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Be realistic—allocate more time that you think it will take to complete a task.
Break any large assignments into smaller, manageable tasks.
Do not plan to study for hours at a time—plan on short sessions which are more productive than
marathons.
Use the time between your classes. Review notes or prepare for your next class.
Do not postpone studying your hardest classes.
Be sure to review your notes as soon as possible after class to keep them fresh in your mind and
also to determine what questions you have on the material.
Catch up and plan during the weekend as well. Remember that you may need to study 5-20
hours each weekend.
It may also be helpful to keep a blank weekly schedule with you. On this schedule, record how
you truly spent your time. You can recognize your time management strengths and weaknesses
by noting when you followed your plan and when you strayed from it.
Slide 12:
It is also important to plan each day so that you accomplish the things that you need to get done. The
daily to do list can help you prioritize your tasks for the day. It only takes a few minutes and will keep
you on track in accomplishing the tasks.
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You can use an index card, a small notepad, or a cell phone app to create your list.
List your activities for the day.
(Hit enter again) Prioritize your list. Write A by anything you must accomplish today, B by the
things you should do today, and C by anything that you could delay if needed.
As you complete each task, cross it off your list. Anything that was not completed today should
be added to tomorrow’s list.
Slide 13:
The information in this workshop was gathered from these resources. I encourage you to look into
these references if you would like additional information on improving your time management skills.
Slide 14:
Thank you for viewing the Time Management Workshop. We hope that you have found the tools and
tips in this workshop helpful, and that you have developed some techniques to help you organize, plan,
and prioritize your tasks. If you would like more information on time management, consider visiting the
Learning Assistance Center on the 5th floor of the CLC in suite 514, or go to our website for additional
strategies. You may also want to discuss your time management plan with an academic advisor,
classmate, or professor to help hold you accountable to your plan.
We encourage you to take the short quiz that is posted on this website to assess what you have learned
in this workshop.