Time Management for CSA

Developing effective time management skills can make all the difference in your overall well-being. What is time management? Constant stress from time-crunches can cause illness and irritability Characteristics of Students with Poor Time Management Identify how you are using your time Your First Step Self-discipline can be considered a type of selective training, creating new habits of thought, action, and speech toward improving yourself and reaching goals.  Self Discipline If you begin to have surplus time, fill it with small tasks, make notes to yourself, plan other tasks, etc. Schedule a small task for a given time of the day Instead of devoting a lot of hours one day, and none the other and then a few on another day and so on, allocate a specific time period each day of the week for that task and hold firm. The Power of Routine Review each day's schedule that morning Steps to Manage Your Time Is your procrastination related to a project? Or is it a habit? To remedy procrastination: Begin with one, modest project Answer these following basic questions, keep the answers before you as you mark your progress. Procrastination What is the final objective, the end result? It may be obvious, or not What do you want to do? Identifying these will help you uncover  benefits that you may be overlooking:  Dare to dream! Why do you want to do this?   What will happen if you don't progress? It won't hurt to scare yourself a little... List out what stands in your way Build in time for review Find a trusted friend, elder, or expert to help you motivate yourself or monitor progress Develop your plan, list: Fantasy See yourself succeeding Admit to… Review notes and readings right before class Helpful Hints Review lecture material right after class Helpful Hints http://www.studygs.net/timman.htm Great Website Follow these tips and you will be on your way to managing your time effectively and academic success. Schedule time for critical course events Make a “to do” list Use a planner Click play button here for music Pick up or download a copy of your school's term/semester calendar Develop a calendar of important dates for your classes that includes:  Tests, papers, projects, readings, mid-term and final exams, holidays, breaks, study days, etc. Enter important dates for your social and family life Each week develop a daily schedule that includes routines and important dates Post this schedule in your study area for referral and review, and to mark your progress Each evening develop a schedule to help you organize the next day, include routines, errands and important appointments What is in your power to change? What resources outside yourself do you need? Resources are not all physical (i.e. tools and money), also include: time, people/ professionals/elders, even attitude  Major, realistic steps How much time each will take What time of day, week, etc. you dedicate yourself to work.  Rewards you will have at each station and also what you will deny yourself until you arrive at each station False starts and mistakes and change them into learning experiences They can be more important than successes,  and give meaning to "experience". Distractions and escapes Do not deny they exist, but deny their temptation. Emotion Admit to frustration when things don't seem to be going right. Admit that you have had a problem, but also that you are doing something about it. Time Management is the process of organizing the activities of your life. It requires a high level of discipline and is crucial for academic success. Tend to miss assignments, tests, and classes and usually feel stressed and rushed May gain the reputation of being forgetful and unreliable to friends, family, professors, and supervisors Lack of preparedness for exams which can be confused for text anxiety, or having to cram Ask yourself: Scheduling helps you focus on your priorities.  By focusing on starting tasks rather than completing them, you can avoid procrastination. Schedule a task and hold to its time; avoid acting on impulse. Track your progress, at the end of the allotted time, keep a record of accomplishment that builds over time. Building a record will help you track how much time tasks take. Don't set another goal other than time allocation, simply set the habit of routine. Apply this technique to your homework and your projects, you will be on your way to getting things done. When you are working on tasks in small increments, not all at once, you first develop a habit, and then the habit does the job for you. Do not concern yourself if your motivation is negative! This is honest and a good beginning.   However, if your motivation is negative,  re-phrase and re-work it until it is phrased positively. What is your biggest motivation? What other positive results will flow from achieving your goal? How much time is devoted to friends, work, and social activities? Do any of these conflict heavily with your school work/study time? If they do, how much? Self-discipline can also be task oriented and selective. View self-discipline as a positive effort, rather than one of denial. Set aside blocks of study time Schedule weekly reviews and updates Develop alternative study places free from distractions Use your time wisely Prioritize assignments What are the major steps to get there? Don't get too detailed:  think big What have you done so far? Acknowledge that you are already part of the way, even if it is through thinking!   A project is easier when it is built in stages; Start small; Add detail and complexity as you achieve and grow A schedule helps you keep a progress chart and reinforce that there are way-stations on your path This helps you: develop a new habit of working, build a good work environment, and distance distractions  This website provides extensive information pertaining to study skills advice as well as the characteristics of an effective study environment. and