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40
TIPS FOR MANAGING TIME
If you have trouble
finding the time accomplish everything on your busy schedule, you're not
alone. Here are some practical ideas that should help.
Prioritizing
Spend time identifying your goals and prioritizing them.
Plan your use of time on a daily and weekly basis according to your main
priorities.
Post signs around your home, in your car, on the refrigerator, etc. to
constantly remind you of your goals.
Block more than enough time for high priority activities.
Focus on the activities that will have the best long-term results for you.
Constantly ask youself: "What is the best use of my time right now?"
Scheduling
Make good use of waiting time.
Make use of travel time by listening to tapes of books you have been meaning
to read.
Identify your "prime time" during the day when you are most alert and then
match your work to your energy peaks and valleys.
Do one task at a time and concentrate fully on that task.
Turn off the TV and avoid other "time robbers’ that prevent you from doing
what you need to do.
Finish what you start, if possible.
Schedule loosely so that you can accommodate interruptions.
Set a time limit on tasks so that your timer becomes a time motivator.
Remember Parkinson’s Law: "Work expands to fill the time available for
completion."
Intersperse difficult tasks with easy tasks.
Add a ten-minute time "cushion" to insure your early arrival for appointments.
Set deadlines for yourself.
DO IT NOW!
Organizing
Keep your home, study and office workspace organized; use a filing system
so you can find things you need easily.
Carry a notepad to write down ideas or tasks as they occur to you.
Each night before going to sleep, write down a "to do" list for the next
day.
Each night, prepare your clothing, pack lunches, etc. to prevent feeling
rushed and out of control the next morning.
Streamline your chores to be done around the house and all your errands.
Handle junk mail and other papers only once; immediately deal with them,
file or discard them.
Delegate when possible.
Stress
Management
Don’t expect perfection from yourself or others.
To reduce stress and increase efficiency, exercise on a regular basis and
take "minute vacations" during the day.
Be an optimist- maintain a positive attitude.
Get up 15-30 minutes earlier to allow you to begin each day feeling organized
and unrushed.
See also our stress management tips.
Guidelines
for Students
Learn to balance your employment hours and the number of units you take
per semester according to the following chart:
40 hours employment/week: Maximum of 6 units/semester
30 hours employment/week: Maximum of 9 units/semester
20 hours employment/week: Maximum of 12 units/semester
Take breaks between classes so you have time to review your notes from
the class just taken and prepare for the next class.
Allow adequate study time per class. Generally two hours of study for each
hour spent in class per week is a good guideline.
Allow time for recreation, exercise and fun. Learn how to take breaks during
the day and week.
Be realistic. Don’t plan to study on Friday night or early Saturday morning,
for example, unless you can really concentrate at that time.
Break up large blocks of study time into smaller segments.
Allow adequate time for getting up, dressing, eating meals, transportation,
etc. Be realistic.
Schedule adequate sleep for yourself so you can maintain optimum health
and concentration.
Allow time for family needs, friends, and other priorities in your life.
Have a place to study where you can fully concentrate away from distrations.
As a suggestion, study in the library on campus where you will not have
many of the distractions found at home.
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American River College
4700 College Oak Drive
Sacramento, CA 95841
Los Rios Community College District |
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