Time Management for Academic Success

• Academic success depends on time management.

• Each student has the same amount of time each day to learn.

• If you want to be a successful student, manage your time in two important ways:– Manage your time– Manage your goals

• Must plan study time, just does not happen.

Are you a procrastinator?

Procrastination

• Unclear priorities

• Self doubt

• Perfection

• Avoidance of new responsibilities

• Thrill of last minute rush

• Task is distasteful

Breaking Procrastination

• Know your priorities• Focus on one task at a time when

possible• Set deadlines• Avoid being perfect• Think positive

Time Management

• To manage time, you can use three effective tools:

1. Term calendar

2. Weekly schedule

3. Daily to-do list

Term Calendar

• Use course syllabi to:

- Write in major academic events of the term:

exams, projects

- Important personal events

• Term calendar should primarily indicate academic events and deadlines.

• Intermediate checks to monitor progress on projects and papers.

Term Calendar

  

Weekly Schedule

  

• “See” your time.• “Find” your available time.• Fill in your fixed commitments: Class times,

meals, meetings, exercise, sports, etc.• Graphically reveals what time is available to

you each day to study, do projects, and so on.

• May be surprised to see how much time is available during the day in the morning and afternoon.

Weekly Schedule

  

6 am

7 am

8 am

9 am

10 am

11 am

12 pm

1 pm

2 pm

3 pm

4 pm

5 pm

6 pm

7 pm

8 pm

9 pm

MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN

Weekly Schedule

• Shows time wasted. Minutes “add” up.• Up to four hours wasted.• The best weekly schedule is:

- Personal

- Flexible (know where your time is.)• Your calendar should reflect a balance between

academics and personal/social life. With academics first!

  

Academics Personal

To-Do Lists

  

• Before going to bed, or at breakfast, list that day’s activities, tasks, or meetings on a small piece of paper/3x5 card.

• When you complete a task, cross it out.

• Review at the end of the day.

• Keep on track in terms of daily approach to time management.

Decide How to Use Your Time

  

• Use daylight hours.

• More learning occurs rather than later in the day after dinner.

• Students are more tired after dinner.

• Subject to emotions and other non-academic concerns.

• Schedule study tasks which require greater concentration and mental effort such as reading and problem sets during the day and early evening.

Decide How to Use Your Time

  

• Use late evening hours to review.

• Keep up with your classes on a regular basis; you will learn all the time by reviewing and practicing what you hear in class and what you read in textbooks.

Decide How to Use Your Time

  

• Build on active review and practice, will help you learn the information over time, rather than cram for quizzes and exams at the last minute.

• Decide what time you will begin and when you will end.

• Human beings are creatures of habit and the more we have a routine and a habit, the more likely we are going to follow through on it.

Decide How to Use Your Time

  

• Schedule some time (five to ten minutes) to go over the class notes you just took, practice or memorize factual items.

• Schedule some kind of exercise at least three times a week. (Physical fitness on MON, WED, FRI!)

• Time management, exercise and mental alertness all go together.

Sleep Plan

  

• Sleep research shows waking up consistently every day at the same time results in sleep being more effective.

• Achieve “deep sleep”, the restful sleep.

• Get the sleep you need. Some students need eight hours of sleep, others only six.

• Regular sleep routine puts structure in your day.

Breakfast

  

• Get up early early enough to eat breakfast everyday.

• Breakfast is a valuable meal to sustain your energy throughout the day.

• Breakfast time can be spent planning your day and the goals you want to accomplish.

Time for Yourself

• Schedule some time each day or during the week that is just for yourself.

• Hobbies, play music

• Watching movies etc.

  

Learn to Say No!

  

• Sounds selfish, but your academic goals should come first.

Manage Your Goals

  

• Successful students have a very clear idea of what it is they want to get accomplished.

• Write out long range goals on paper.

• Answer two important questions:

1. Why am I attending college?

2. What do I hope to achieve by the time I graduate?

Manage Your Goals

  

• Write out as many goals as you like initially.

• Then review them and choose your five most important goals.

• This can be easy or difficult depending on how much you have already thought about why you are in college and what you intend to get out of it.

Setting Your Goals

  

• Goals should be realistic.

• Forces you to think seriously about what you are capable of doing.

• Set goals that will challenge, not defeat you.

• Discuss academic goals with a mentor or academic advisor.

• Advisor/mentor can effectively guide you to achieving your goals.

Achieving Balance

  

• Need Leisure, exercise, activities of one kind or another.

• Information and satisfaction coming in is as important to time management as production that goes out.

• While in college academic goals should be at the top of your list. Other goals may include volunteering, exercise, or athletics. Also includes joining new organizations or making new friends.

• As with you other time management tools, post goals where you can easily see them.

Setting Your Goals

  

• Reflect a balance in academic and personal life.

• “I study all the time, I’m constantly in the books, why am I not successful?”

• Answer: They do not have a whole life.

Academics Personal

Academics

Personal

5 Steps to Successful Time Management

  

1. Set specific academic and personal goals.

2. Create a term calendar, recording major events.

3. Create a weekly schedule of your classes, , meetings, etc.

4. Decide on specific times to work on each course.

5. Make a do-do list the night before or during breakfast.

Conclusion

  

• You can successfully manage your time by: - Planning your term. - Planning your week.• Using the specific time management tools: - Term calendar - Weekly schedule - Daily to-do list• Manage goals by: - Writing them out - Discussing them with a mentor - Revisit goals

K.V.RaveendranSoft Skill trainer9447438753kvraveen@gmail.com