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Using your time more effectively

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

LIST and PRIORITISE!

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Use a semester planner

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

What's holding you back?
 
 

Time Management Skills Part 2
Contents

Part 1

Part 2

FIND MORE TIME FOR STUDY
PLAN YOUR TIME
DEAL WITH TIME MANAGEMENT DEMONS

 
FIND MORE TIME FOR STUDY

To find more time for study, review the time you spend doing other things.
Here's a few suggestions:

Look critically at how you do household chores. Do you do certain jobs on a weekly basis, whether it's needed or not?

Could you delegate some jobs to other members of the household? (If you have children, they might appreciate a small increase in pocket money in return for some household help.)

Do you use any time spent waiting for studying? (Try taking a set text or flash cards to the bus stop or doctor's surgery.)

Use short periods of available time for study. You can concentrate most efficiently for periods of about 20 minutes - if you wait for a long period of time to be available for study, it may never happen!

 

PLAN YOUR TIME


Time management means making the best use of your time, and that means planning. Try the following tips to help you plan effectively.

Write "to do" lists and prioritise jobs.
Try the activity below.

Activity

Write a "to do" list for today.

Now label everything on the list according to these categories:

A = must do
B = could be done
C = nice if I could get around to it

Now rewrite your list with the items in alphabetical order - the items labelled A must be done first!

Reward yourself. Tick off the items on your list as you go. It feels good to achieve your goals - even small ones!

Plan completion of larger tasks by setting deadlines to complete the smaller parts. (eg: plan your assessment task in one session, write a draft in the next, edit and rewrite in the third).

Plan ahead. Use a semester planner with the important events in both your student and personal life marked. It will allow you to anticipate busy weeks and to plan your work accordingly - allow for unexpected emergencies by not leaving things till the last minute!

This is what a semester planner might look like:

Want a blank semester planner for your own use? Choose one of the options below, to download and print.

I want a semester 1 planner. (Microsoft Word 2000, 66Kb)
I want a semester 2 planner. (Microsoft Word 2000, 66Kb)

DEAL WITH TIME MANAGEMENT DEMONS

Putting things off
Is this a problem of yours? Spending time just thinking about a task can help to clarify your ideas (it's called
brain-warming!) but the time spent doing this should be limited.

Are you a procrastinator? Try this questionnaire to find out!

Try to deal with this problem by setting yourself smaller goals - break the task up into smaller parts and it won't seem so daunting.

Interruptions
Don't try to study if interruptions are inevitable. Try again later when it is quieter. Find a place (and time) to study when interruption is not as likely.

Uncertainty about what is required
Don't waste time guessing. First check your Student Assessment Guidelines. Ask other students. Then if it's still not clear, clarify the task with the teacher. Have you got an example of a similar task that you could follow?


A last word:

Relaxation is important. Don't allocate all your free time to study!

This guide developed by Julia Drury, North Coast Institute © TAFE NSW, North Coast Institute
Some artwork this page © Microsoft Corporation