TIME MANAGEMENT:
MAKING IT WORK FOR YOU
Following the steps for creating a time plan is really the easy part of time
management. The challenge in effectively managing your time is the process of
monitoring, analyzing and revising your plan until it works.
Patience
One of the most important things to keep in mind if you're struggling with time
management is that effective planning is a skill that takes time to acquire, to practice
and to polish. One of the most common reasons students give up trying to manage
time is that they assume that once a time plan has been drawn up, the process is
complete. Some frustration is inevitable and even to be expected. At first it may seem
that you're getting less done than before because planning and monitoring are time-
consuming and distracting. But it's a good idea to iron out the bugs in your time plan at
the beginning of the semester when the pressure and workload are at a minimum. The
trial and error approach of trying out strategies, seeing them fail, and then trying
something else are essential parts of the process. If you can endure the first few
weeks, later in the semester, when the workload and stress increase, you'll reap the
benefits when you need them the most.
Analysis
Another difficult aspect of time management is the fact that you have no one but
yourself to monitor how effectively you are using your time. Self-monitoring is essential;
you must be your own watchdog. No skill can improve without feedback, so set aside a
few minutes each day to evaluate how your time plan is working. Whether tasks have
been accomplished or not, figure out why. Have you simply over or underestimated
how much can be done in a study session? Are you monitoring progress too much by
interrupting your reading every few minutes to see how many pages are left before the
end of the chapter? Your thoughtful analysis of the reasons why your time plan works
or does not work is the key to the continuous improvement of your skills.
Flexibility
Your time plan will be doomed if you proceed as though it is written in stone.
Students are subject to all the same diseases, disasters and distractions as the rest of
the adult population, so cultivate the sensitivity to know when you're being productive
and when you're beating your head against the wall, and take appropriate action. Don't
stop writing your essay in the middle of a great idea because you only scheduled an
hour for it. Learn effective procrastination - recognize when putting a task off and doing
something else is an intelligent, conscious decision and when it is just procrastinating.
Be gentle with yourself if you fall short of your expectations, but monitor any negative
patterns that emerge and analyze their source. By expecting the unexpected and
building flexibility into your time plan, you'll have a better chance of achieving your
goals.
