Saturday 3 December 2011

9. Time Management

As a college student, are you trying to juggle lots of different commitments and are deadlines coming up close together?  If yes, it’s not surprising that you feel overwhelmed.  I know I do! 


There are many factors that play a role in time management and these can range from home life, work, study, socialising with friends and interacting with fellow students within the college environment.  Initially the course tasks may appear relatively easy and won’t take long to complete by the submission date.  So you postpone starting the assignment before realising the complexity of the task.  Then more work is assigned or activities are planned and soon you are overloaded with college work and social events which leads to compromises been made in your work life balance.  As a result, no area of your life is winning and you might say to yourself this won’t happen again!  This is why effective time management is recommended to reduce stress and anxiety associated with college life.

If you are coming to the end of first term, winter exams are approaching and you know that time management was not your forte, use this as your incentive to get organised from the beginning of the new term.

Tips:
  • Create a master schedule that indicates on a term or year basis when holidays, exams, reports/essays etc. are due.  Post it in a prominent spot.
  • Create a weekly schedule
  • Avoid too much detail when scheduling – a schedule has to remain flexible.
  • Schedule tasks that may require maximum concentration during your “peak” or periods of optimum alertness.
  • Remember to schedule in rewards, after doing a difficult or challenging task.
  • Allocate times for relaxation, exercise, socialising.  This allows time to unwind and gives you something to look forward to.  

1 comment:

  1. I could really identify with this.
    I found your tips really useful, now I just need to put it into practice.
    Thanks

    ReplyDelete