Time
Management
Concepts to Help You Manage Your Schedule
An Overview
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Use a planner. Or use your cell or iPod calendar
function.
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Put aside time for studying. Really. Schedule time
for studying.
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Assume to have 2 to 3 hours of studying for hour
you spend in class.
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Build a routine, find a time that works for you and
try not to change it.
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If you make studying a regular habit it will no longer
seem as a chore.
Location is important, too.
Use small pieces of time.
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This may not be the case for every class, but is a good
guideline.
Not all studying has to be done in hour long blocks.
Even just fifteen or twenty minutes of focused
studying can be very helpful.
Consider this…what do you ever do for four hours
straight?
Shorter, focused, quality studying is better than
lengthy, poor quality studying.
Do not procrastinate.
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Deadlines can approach very quickly. Once you fall
behind, it generally takes more work to catch up than
originally studying would have required.
Simple Scheduling Exercise
Directions:
Spend some time plotting your day,
then your week, then your semester.
The goal is to obtain a better
understanding of how day-to-day
activities relate to semester
accomplishments, and vice versa.
Use that understanding to PLAN
MANAGE your time.
With a little panning, you CAN find
time to get everything done!
Try to keep a DAILY schedule.
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Should be similar to a “to do” list.
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Assign priorities to each activity and
then make sure that you finish your
most important items.
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Make sure to continue to add to it
as new items come up.
MONTHLY Schedule
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Spread large tasks over
multiple study periods.
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Read 10 pages a night for a
week instead of 70 pages all at
once!
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You can visualize when your
busiest times will be, and plan
accordingly.
SEMESTER Schedule
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Mark down tests and quizzes.
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All this information should be on
COURSE syllabi.
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Plot out what weeks will be the most
demanding.
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Semester or Holiday Breaks?
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Refer to this schedule if you are
having difficulty prioritizing tasks.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Time
• Start projects as soon as they are
assigned.
– You should try to start large
assignments as soon as possible so you
do not have to rush through them as
the due date approaches.
– This approach will be less stressful
because it will allow you the time to
complete the work to the best of your
ability.
• Divide a large task into smaller,
manageable “chunks”.
– Working a half hour a day on a project
for eight days is easier than trying to
do it all in a four hour block.
Getting the Most Out of Your Time
(cont.)
• You should attend all your classes.
– Listening to lectures from a real
person is more helpful than simply
reading information from the text.
– Remember, you are paying for
lecture time…get what you pay for!
• Use your time wisely.
– Try to use breaks in your schedule to
accomplish tasks (errands, review
notes, relax).
– Make sure you set aside enough
time to finish schoolwork and other
tasks.
– Consider your workload…is working
25 hours a week and taking 16
credits reasonable?
– What is the best use of your time?
– What is a poor use of your time?
How to Find Even More Time
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Examine your preferences and priorities.
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Do not let social activities cut into your class work time.
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What you want to do versus what you need to do.
You want to achieve a manageable balance between the two.
While having a life outside of classes is important, remember that
activities are the secondary reason you attend college.
If you have trouble finding time to study it might be because you
have over-extended yourself.
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Too many extra-curricular activities.? It might be best to limit the
time spent in clubs and groups if you truly cannot find time to study.
If possible, take a week off from such activities and see if your newly
opened schedule gives you time to study.
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You can also decrease work hours during finals, midterms or
other high stress times.
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How about a Sunday evening “prep” session?
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What does your week look like?
Can you prepare something now to save time later in the week?
Also consider shorter breaks.
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Would coming back from Spring Break a couple days early help you?
Avoiding the Pitfalls of Procrastination
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Start assignments NOW.
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Go to class TODAY…and tomorrow.
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Don’t wait until “later”. What if
something else is happening “later”?
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Organize projects into simple tasks.
– Do the harder tasks first while your
motivation is high.
– Easier tasks take less time and energy!
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Set a deadline for yourself…stick to it.
– Be specific. “Next week” isn’t good
enough.
– Recruit your friends/family. They’ll ask
you about progress.
Resources To Get You Started
• Weekly Scheduling Grid
– Take an honest look at how you spend your time.
– Don’t forget to add Facebook and Xbox time.
• “HOW TO” create your Microsoft Outlook calendar.
– Use your laptop to keep you on task.
• Sample week schedule
– How does yours compare?
This PowerPoint presentation is the
property of Northern Michigan
University’s Academic & Career
Advisement Center. It may not be
reproduced without written consent.
www.nmu.edu/acac