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Study Guides index of guidesTime Management

Time discovers truth
Annaeus Lucius Seneca,
Roman,, 4 BCE - 65 AD

Developing time management skills is a journey
that may begin with this Guide, but needs practice and other guidance along the way.

One goal is to help yourself become aware of how you use your time
as one resource in organizing, prioritizing, and succeeding in your studies
in the context of competing activities of friends, work, family, etc.

First:  try our exercise in time management

Strategies on using time:

  • Develop blocks of study time
    About 50 minutes? How long does it take for you to become restless?
    Some learners need more frequent breaks
  • for a variety of reasons
    More difficult material may also require more frequent breaks
  • Schedule weekly reviews and updates
  • Prioritize assignments
    When studying, get in the habit of beginning with the most difficult subject or task
  • Develop alternative study places free from distractions
    to maximize concentration
  • Got "dead time"?
    Think of using time walking, riding, etc. for studying “bits”
  • Review studies and readings just before class
  • Review lecture material immediately after class
    (Forgetting is greatest within 24 hours without review)
  • Schedule time for critical course events
    Papers, presentations, tests, etc.

Try the University of Minnesota's Assignment Calculator

Develop criteria for adjusting your schedule
to meet both your academic and non-academic needs

Effective aids:

  • "To Do" list
    Write down things you have to do, then decide what to do at the moment, what to schedule for later, what to get someone else to do, and what to put off for a later time period
  • Daily/weekly planner
    Write down appointments, classes, and meetings on a chronological log book or chart.
    If you are more visual, sketch out your schedule
    First thing in the morning, check what's ahead for the day
    always go to sleep knowing you're prepared for tomorrow
  • Long term planner
    Use a monthly chart so that you can plan ahead.
    Long term planners will also serve as a reminder to constructively plan time for yourself

Website overview: Since 1996 the Study Guides and Strategies web site has been researched, authored, maintained and supported by Joe Landsberger as an international, learner-centric, educational public service. Permission is granted to freely copy, adapt, and distribute individual Study Guides in print format in non-commercial educational settings that benefit learners. Please be aware that the Guides welcome, and are under, continuous review and revision. For that reason, reproduction of all content on the Internet can only be with permission through a licensed agreement. No request to link to the Web site is necessary.

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