SMART 2A - MODULE 3

Time Management

LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:

a. Reflect on Dr. Pedro T. Orata’s time management skills as a student;

b. Create your own schedule for studying in the flexible learning modality.

TOPIC
OUTLINE
Lesson 1: Time Management: A Reflection

OVERVIEW
Time is a valuable resource. Once gone, it can never be returned. And yet, many of us waste our time on things
which are not that important such as scrolling on social media sites or spending too much time playing video games.

There are time stealers that may hinder us from finishing chores, completing deadlines, and other important
activities that will enable us to reach our dreams. Indeed, how we use our time helps us to accomplish the goals we
have set.

With this in mind, this module introduces us to how Dr. Pedro T. Orata managed his time as a student and
encouraged us to reflect on how we can apply the insights we may gain in our own lives.

ACTIVATING PRIOR
KNOWLEDGE
Before we start with the discussion on time management, make a rough sketch of how you spent your day
yesterday. Try to make a timeline of your activities. Use another sheet of paper to draw it. Once done, keep your
timeline for now because we will refer to that in the next activity.

TIME MANAGEMENT:
A REFLECTION
Time management had been defined as organizing our time so that we can decide how much we spend on
different activities. This is a skill that enables us to accomplish more in less time.

Mastering our time means we can be more productive in our activities. It also means we are less stressed
because we know what activities to prioritize first. Time management is a vital skill if we are to succeed in our chosen
profession.

Despite knowing the value of good time management, however, we also fall victim to time stealers. Too much
time on recreation like surfing the net, checking social media accounts, or bingeing on movie watching is just an
example. This is especially harder now that most of our classes are done online.

Addiction to technology was attributed to a host of problems such as lack of focus, adverse effects on
memory, and less time on fostering relationships with family and loved ones. In fact, even when we are not using a
smartphone, its mere presence can already affect our focus.

So how do we get back control of our time? Take a look at the following suggestions:

1. Make a to-do list. Write the things you need to accomplish, rate according to importance, and classify which
are needed to be addressed immediately. Be realistic so that you will not be overwhelmed by your to-do’s.
Break down an item into small, specific tasks.
2. Know your “up” time. If you are more alert in the morning, schedule the activity that demands more focus.
3. Eliminate distractions. This may mean turning off notifications from emails or social media accounts.
Organize your working space so that you will not be disturbed by clutter.

Urdaneta City University 1

 4. Do not multitask. Some would say that they are getting more done with multitasking when, in fact, they are not.
Doing several things at the same time compromises the quality of work we will get done.

With all these pieces of advice, let us take a look at how Dr. Pedro T. Orata organized his time when he was a
student in the US.

Read this excerpt from Module 4 of the Orata 1 subject. As you do so, try to see what you can learn from how he
managed his activities.

Orata’s Education in the US

He (Dr. Pedro T. Orata) got a job in

a dormitory doing odd jobs like washing
the dishes. In an autobiography, Orata
laid out his daily routine on weekdays:
He got up at five o’clock in the morning
and worked until 8:30, then left to catch
his 9 a.m. class. He worked again from
12 noon to 2 p.m. then hurried to attend
his 2:30 p.m. class. From 5 p.m. to 8:30
p.m., he again worked. Arriving in his
quarters after nine o’clock in the evening,
he devoted his focus in studying his
lessons.

On weekends, Orata would accept odd jobs—washing windows, mowing lawns, and cleaning homes. During
summers, to save on bus fare, Orata would walk more than one and a half hours from his job back to his room – and
this after clocking in eleven hours of work.

When he was not busy with work, Orata studied for his classes. The result was that, after four years of study, he
graduated with his degree in Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana “with final honors.”

LEARNING ACTIVITY 3.1

TIMELINE REFLECTION
From the excerpt above, try to reflect on how to manage time effectively.

1. Reconstruct the typical day that Dr. Orata organized his weekday.
2. Go back to your timeline of how you spent your time yesterday. Compare and contrast how you spent your
time with how Dr. Orata did. Are there similar activities that you spent your time? How about the amount of
time that you spent on your activities? How much time did you spend on time stealers?
3. Now, make your own action plan on how you will schedule your activities for the next week.
4. Form a group with 5-7 members. Share your realizations and your schedule with your group.
5. Make a collaborative reflection composed of 5-10 sentences that would state the most salient realizations of
the group on time management. Post this on our discussion forum (Online Learning) or use the activity sheet
(Offline Learning) and submit it to me.

SUMMARY Dr. Pedro T. Orata with coworkers in the US (n.d.).

Time management entails planning your time well
so that you can complete the activities you have set to
accomplish. Among other things, this means avoiding time
wasters and prioritizing important activities.
One of those who managed his time well was Dr. Pedro
T. Orata. As a student, he made sure he had time to attend
his classes, prepare for his lessons, and finish his work.
REFERENCE
Agibuay, R. (2020). Learning from Dr. Pedro T. Orata.
[Unpublished Module]. Urdaneta City: Urdaneta City
University.
[Photographs]. UCU Archives.
Jehovah’s Witnesses (2020). What should I know about
multitasking? Retrieved from: bit.ly/3eOVtg4
Mind Tools (2020). What is time management?
Retrieved from: bit.ly/2Js7pbK
Orata, P. (n.d.). My life and work, mostly work! Unpublished
paper. Archives of the Urdaneta City University,
Philippines.
Razali, S. and Rosiman, M. (April 2018). The impact of
time management on students’ academic
achievement. Journal of Physics Conference Series.
Retrieved from: bit.ly/2HYTTMe

Borlaza, G. (1984). The life and work of Pedro T. Orata: An
advocate of Education for all, for life and throughout
life. Manila: Philippine Christian University.
Ward, A., Duke, K., Gneezy, A. and Bos, M. (April 2017). Brain
drain: The mere presence of one’s own
smartphone reduces available cognitive capacity.
Journal of the Association for Consumer Research
(Vol. II, No. 2). Retrieved from: bit.ly/3845lkC

2 SMART 2A