Time Management

Managing your time is a very important part of your studies. Making sure you have the time for all your classes and your homework is important to your success. However, you also need to make sure you have the time for all the other things in your life. Finding a good balance between them all will allow you to give your studies the focus you need without burning yourself out.

The Big Picture

The best way to manage your time is to first get a perspective of the bigger picture. Take a look at the semester calendar. There are 15 weeks in the semester, and then an exam period after the semester. You should also take note of any days off, like holidays. There are often days in the semester where the schedule might not match the day. 

Once you have a good overview of the semester, and any days where things might be a little different, like days off or schedule changes, you should then look through your course outlines to get an idea of what assignments you will have due during the semester. It is good to take a look at both the graded and ungraded assignments. If you have assignments due or exams during the exam period, you’ll also want to take note of that.

Resources

• Semester Calendar 

Be Effective With Your Time

Another important aspect to time management is to make the most of your time. Planning a schedule can help you make sure you have the time you need for your studies. However, if you don’t use your study time well it won’t be of that much help to you.

. You might want to think about some of the following things:

• What time of day are you most able to concentrate? Morning, afternoon, evening?
• How long can you study before you get tired?
• What kinds of breaks help you get back your energy and which ones just cause you to be distracted?
• What kind of study space do you need? Quiet, music, a little bit of background noise?

Tips

If you are struggling get help early. Get in touch with your teacher if you are struggling with the course and the assignments. You can also get help from TASC, especially if you are having trouble managing your time.

Identify Priorities

Another important part of time management is to identify priorities. You have a full semester, and you will have different assignments due along the way. Obviously, you will need to prioritize the assignments that are due next. However, you also need to look at which assignments are bigger and which are smaller. A short journal response isn’t going to take as much time as a research paper.

Be Prepared

You can also make the most of your study time by making sure you are as prepared as possible when you sit down to study or do your homework. Using effective note-taking strategies can help you by having your notes and ideas from your readings and your classes organized and ready to use when you sit down to study. Different study techniques, like using flash cards, doing problem exams, or organizing study sessions with friends can also help you get the most out of your study time.

Resources

• Note-Taking
• Studying and Exams
• Learning Styles

Take Breaks

Taking breaks is just as important as your study time. You can’t work forever and you need time to refuel and get your energy back. Taking breaks from your studying to eat can really help you make the most of your study time. Our brains need fuel to work, which we get from food.

You also need to make sure you get enough sleep. When we are tired and hungry the first things we lose are our higher brain functions, which include rational thinking. Making sure you have enough sleep and enough to eat will help you get even more out of your study time.

Resources

• Stress Management

Making a Schedule

The best way to manage your time is to make a schedule. This will help you plan in advance how much time you need for each of your courses and your homework. Having an agenda will help you keep track of your schedule for the week and for the semester.