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1. A Personal Time Survey
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To
begin managing your time you first
need a clearer idea of how you now
use your time. The Personal Time
Survey will help you to estimate how
much time you currently spend in
typical activities. To get a more
accurate estimate, you might keep
track of how you spend your time for
a week. This will help you get a
better idea of how much time you
need to prepare for each subject. It
will also help you identify your
time wasters. But for now complete
the Personal Time Survey to get an
estimate. The following survey shows
the amount of time you spend on
various activities. When taking the
survey, estimate the amount of time
spent on each item. Once you have
this amount, multiply it by seven.
This will give you the total time
spent on the activity in one week.
After each item's weekly time has
been calculated, add all these times
for the grand total. Subtract this
from 168, the total possible hours
per week. Here We Go:
| 1. Number of
hours of sleep each night |
________ X
7 = _______ |
| 2. Number of
grooming hours per day |
________ X
7 = _______ |
| 3. Number of
hours for meals/snacks per
day - include preparation
time |
________ X
7 = _______ |
| 4a. Total travel
time weekdays |
________ X
5= _______ |
| 4b. Total travel
time weekends |
_______ |
| 5. Number of
hours per week for regularly
scheduled functions (clubs,
church, get-togethers, etc.) |
_______ |
| 6. Number of
hours per day for chores,
errands, extra grooming,
etc. |
_______ X 7
= _______ |
| 7. Number of
hours of work per week |
_______ |
| 8. Number of
hours in class per week |
_______ |
| 9. Number of
average hours per week
socializing, dates, etc. Be
honest! |
_______ |
| Now add up the
totals: |
_______ |
| Subtract the above
number from 168 |
168 -
_______ = _______ |
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The
remaining hours are the
hours you have allowed
yourself to study. |
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2. Study Hour Formula
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To
determine how many hours you need to
study each week to get A's, use the
following rule of thumb. Study two
hours per hour in class for an easy
class, three hours per hour in class
for an average class, and four hours
per hour in class for a difficult
class. For example, basket weaving
101 is a relatively easy 3 hour
course. Usually, a person would not
do more than 6 hours of work outside
of class per week. Advanced calculus
is usually considered a difficult
course, so it might be best to study
the proposed 12 hours a week. If
more hours are needed, take away
some hours from easier courses,
i.e., basket weaving. Figure out the
time that you need to study by using
the above formula for each of your
classes.
| Easy class credit hours |
________ x
2 = _______ |
| Average class credit
hours |
________ x
3 = _______ |
| Difficult class credit
hours |
________ x
4 = _______ |
| Total |
_______ |
Compare this number to your time
left from the survey. Now is the
time when many students might find
themselves a bit stressed. Just a
note to ease your anxieties. It is
not only the quantity of study time
but also it's quality. This formula
is a general guideline. Try it for a
week, and make adjustments as
needed.
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3. Daily Schedules
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There
are a variety of time schedules that
can fit your personality. These
include engagement books, a piece of
poster board tacked to a wall, or 3
x 5 cards. Once you decide upon the
style, the next step is
construction. It is best to allow
spaces for each hour, half-hours for
a busy schedule. First, put down all
of the necessities; classes, work,
meals, etc. Now block in your study
time (remember the study time
formula presented earlier). Schedule
it for a time when you are
energized. Also, it's best to review
class notes soon after class. Make
sure to schedule in study breaks,
about 10 minutes each hour. Be
realistic on how many courses to
take. To succeed in your courses you
need to have the time to study. If
you find you don't have time to
study and you're not socializing to
an extreme, you might want to
consider lightening your load. Tips
for Saving Time Now that you know
how you spend most of your time,
take a look at it. Think about what
your most important things are. Do
you have enough time? Chances are
that you do not. Below are some tips
on how to schedule and budget your
time when it seems you just don't
have enough. |
4. Don't be a
perfectionist
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Trying
to be a perfect person sets you up
for defeat. Nobody can be perfect.
Difficult tasks usually result in
avoidance and procrastination. You
need to set achievable goals, but
they should also be challenging.
There will always be people both
weaker and stronger than you. |
5. Learn to say no
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For
example, an acquaintance of yours
would like you to see a movie with
him tonight. You made social plans
for tomorrow with your friends and
tonight you were going to study and
do laundry. You really are not
interested. You want to say no, but
you hate turning people down.
Politely saying no should become a
habit. Saying no frees up time for
the things that are most important. |
6. Learn to Prioritize
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Prioritizing your responsibilities
and engagements is very important.
Some people do not know how to
prioritize and become
procrastinators. A "to do list"
places items in order of importance.
One method is the ABC list. This
list is divided into three sections;
a, b, or c. The items placed in the
A section are those needed to be
done that day. The items placed in
the B section need completion within
the week. The C section items are
those things that need to be done
within the month. As the B, C items
become more pertinent they are
bumped up to the A or B list. Try it
or come up with your own method, but
do it. |
7. Combine several
activities
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Another
suggestion is to combine several
activities into one time spot. While
commuting to school, listen to taped
notes. This allows up to an hour or
two a day of good study review.
While showering make a mental list
of the things that need to be done.
When you watch a sit-com, laugh as
you pay your bills. These are just
suggestions of what you can do to
combine your time, but there are
many others, above all be creative,
and let it work for you. |
8. Conclusion
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After
scheduling becomes a habit, then you
can adjust it. It's better to be
precise at first. It is easier to
find something to do with extra time
then to find extra time to do
something. Most importantly, make it
work for you. A time schedule that
is not personalized and honest is
not a time schedule at all. |
By George Mason University
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