LECTURE ONE:
MANAGING YOUR TIME
DR. AMAL RUBAIAAN
WHAT IS TIME
?MANAGEMENT
Time management is the most important aspect of success in
.college life
It is affected by your priorities
:Time management involves
• Knowing your goals
• Setting priorities to meet your goals
• Anticipating the unexpected
• Taking control of your time
• Making a commitment to punctuality
• Carrying out your plans
TAKING CONTROL OF
YOUR TIME
• You are always on control of your time.
• There is nothing called “I don’t have
time”. You choose to include or exclude
a commitment.
• You can include any task in your time
agenda if you have a good time
management and avoid procrastination.
PROCRASTINATION
Definition.
Reasons
• fear of failure (perfectionists)
• fear of success
• lack of drive
If you procrastinate often in college, you need to see if you
are ready for college or not, it is your choice!
Get advise from you academic advisor.
OVERCOMING
PROCRASTINATION
Strategies to overcome procrastination:
• Remind your self of consequences
• Create a to-do list; cross out accomplished tasks to feel
good.
• Break big jobs into smaller steps. Finish smaller before
bigger.
• Promise yourself a reward for finishing a task.
• Find a quite place to study, and don’t make commitments.
• Avoid distractions (mobile phone, computer….etc)
If these can’t work, you seriously need to assess your choice
to attend college.
SETTING PRIORITIES
Time management is strongly affected by your
priorities
E.g. if you have a test tomorrow, and have a job
fair today, you prioritize studying for the test.
Studying for the test is a priority.
However!
With good time management, you could have
studied during the week before and can attend the
job fair.
Similarly, in college, sometimes you have two
exams in the same day. You can always manage
your time.
The greatest challenge in prioritizing is finding a
balance between collage commitments and other
family social commitments.
However!
With good time management and advance
planning you can always strike a balance
STAYING FOCUSED
• Always remember your goals.
• Do not be taken by the new university atmosphere (don’t
skip classes/ don’t do assignments recklessly) . Bad
grads can make a true harm to your GPA.
• Make a plan for your priorities like attending classes,
studying….etc, then think about necessities of life like
sleeping, eating…etc, then think about fun things to do.
TASK 1
List your priorities by the order of importance. Exchange
your list with your friends and take feedback.
Does the order of priorities on your list supports academic
success?
GETTING ORGANIZED
.You can have a better time management if you are organized
:You can be more organized by maintain
• A planner
• A weekly timetable
• A to-do list
THE PLANNER
Can be electronic or hard copy
How to use it;
• Start with a term assignment preview (p.26). This
should include all assignments and their due
dates, quizzes, study time….etc.
• Remember to break big assignments (like term
papers) into smaller steps and do set their due
dates on your own.
• Then, move all things to your calendar,
which should also show other
commitments (social, medical…etc)
• Now everything is clear! Work in advance
for busy weeks, notice clashes and work
in advance. No more stress.
• Check you planner at the same time
everyday
TASK 2
Make your own term preview and planner
for this semester using templets provided
by your professor.
Due next Wednesday! Check the syllabus!
THE WEEKLY TIMETABLE
Helps you plan how to spend every hour f the
week.
Tips in charting weekly timetables:
• 1 credit hour = 2 hours of study per week after
class (universal agreement)
• Consider your biorhythms (morning people
should chart study times in the morning)
• Estimate how much time you need for each
assignment based on its nature.
TASK 3
Chart you activities and tasks for next week
using the templet provided by your
professor. Check model on page 28.
Due next Wednesday! Check the syllabus!
THE TO-DO LIST
• Handy for last minute reminder
• Useful for reminding you of thins like
shopping for grocery, making a medical
appointment, answering an email…etc
• Can be daily, weekly, or running.
• You can highlight things according to
priority.
• Cross out finished tasks.
DESIGNING YOU
SCHEDULE
Your schedule should be designed specifically for you,
making sure it matches your abilities , biorhythms and
special circumstances.
You may prefer to place all your classes in two or three
days if you live far away and commuting. However, put in
mind risks that if you get sick, you will be absent in all
classes, and that you might have two or three exams on
the same day. You may also not have time to review before
an exam because you will be attending another class
you may want to create break time for relaxation,
catching up with friends
HOW TO ORGANIZE
YOU DAY (TIPS)
Set realistic goals for your study times
Use waiting time to review
Know your best times of day to study
Restrict repetitive, distracting, and time-consuming tasks
Avoid multitasking
Be flexible
DON’T OVEREXTEND
YOURSELF
Learn to say (NO) without giving a reason. You have the
right to decline obligations that will stop you from
finishing a task
Drop a course before the drop deadline, this will save your
GPA
REDUCE
DISTRACTIONS
1. Find quite places for studying
2. Try to stick to a routine, the more firmly you have
established a specific time and quite place, the more
effective you will keep up with your schedule
3. Make use of weekend to review or work on big projects
like term papers
4. Break down large tasks
5. Turn off computer, TV,….etc
6. Get rid of personal concerns, call a friend or write them
and then start studying
7. Agree with others (family/ room-mate) one quite hours.
RESPECTING OTHERS’
TIME
Time management is related to respect
Don’t come late to class, this shows disrespect to your
instructors time and also your classmates
Don’t leave class before time is up
Don’t agree to meet then just not show up
Don’t text massage, make phone calls, do homework for
other classes, or talk during class
