Time Management is a crucial skill all must learn. Time is the one factor that can never be retrieved. Once time is gone, it is gone forever. We live in a fast paced society; everyone is pressured to multi-task. The main problem is how to accomplish all the required tasks and still stay sane. The solution to the problem is to properly “manage time.” This task is challenging to adults; it is even more complicated for students who are trying to balance studies, extra-curricular activities, community involvement, a social life, work and, most importantly, sleep!
Experts say people always have time to do the things that are really important to them. This is really true. The key is to make sure the most important things are accomplished. One of the steps to successful Time Management is setting priorities. Students have to look at school as if it were a job because for students that is what it is. It has to be priority for the student to be successful. Even though school must be a priority, students must manage time so their lives are balanced. Too much work leads to overload; overload leads to frustration, stress and unhappiness. Students must work to balance the following elements:
Working with a calendar is important in learning how to manage time. When school starts in September, students must take a good look at the Student Handbook to see when important events are scheduled. They should also pencil in any important family and friend functions. Students on sport teams must note their schedules. This will help in the planning process. Students have to plan ahead to be successful and maintain a sense of sanity as the year progresses.
THE PLANNING PROCESS:
Long Term Goals/ Short Term Goals - Write down your long term/short term goals and review them often. They should be kept where they are visible. Do not be afraid to modify and/or change them. Make sure they are realistic. If Math and Science are not your strengths but English and Social Studies are, aim for subjects or career goals that maximize your strengths. Eliminate or modify activities that interfere with your goals.
- Discuss your goals with your parents, teachers and advisors. They can help you plan strategies to accomplish your goals.
Do No Procrastinate OR Be Distracted - Use time efficiently; don’t waste it; you never get it back
- Be in tune to your own body cycle; are you a morning or night person?
- Do your most difficult work when you have high energy times
- Identify people who distract you from your goals; limit or eliminate your exposure to them
- Plan, plan, plan; do this by making lists; there is nothing more powerful than crossing out a task you have accomplished.
- Schedule your tasks; use an agenda book
- Find snippets of time where you can get tasks done; do you have to wait for an afternoon pick-up? Can you read a few chapters of a book while you are waiting? Do you waste time on the bus ride to school? Can you form a homework or study group on the bus? Remember students do not have to be in your grade or class to be a wonderful resource.
- Practice saying “NO” to people. Students are naturally inclined to be helpful and gracious; however, by saying “YES” are you really doing what is best for your sanity or achievement? Randomly saying “YES” can lead to overload, which can be self-destructive.
- Be kind to yourself when you have used your time effectively; have an ice cream or engage in some other pleasurable experience as a reward.
- Use family, friends, teachers, counselors as a support group to help you manage time effectively
When asked how they waste time, students say:
- Instant messaging
- Surfing the net
- Hanging out with friends
- Watching TV
- Talking on my cell phone
- Using my I Pod
- Going to the mall
While it’s true all of the above can waste time and be detractors, the
TRUTH is by and in themselves they are not. They only become time wasters or detractors when students engage in them at the
wrong time for
too long a period of time. Because it is necessary to have a balanced approach to Time Management and
LIFE, students must have diversions. Even the armed services plan for R&R (rest and recuperation)! The key is always, as the Greek philosophers say:
“MODERATION!”
POINTERS: An excellent start to becoming a good Time Manager is for students to understand how they are currently using time. Keep a one week log of your life. Write down exactly what you do each hour, include everything. After a week analyze your journal. Get someone to help you look at it critically. Just how efficiently are you using time? Can anything be eliminated, modified, restructured, or added?
Do not get
DISCOURAGED. Learning how to manage time is a long, long process. It takes patience. Keeping logs, writing things down, making and revising goals are boring tasks. Survive the BOREDUM! The rewards of having good Time Management skills are numerous. They will help you in high school, in college and, most importantly, in
LIFE.
Check out the LINKS section of Study Skills for web sites to help you with Time Management. Good Luck…with practice you will be successful!
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