Page 117 - Learning to Learn

LEARNING TO LEARN: BECOMING A SELF -GROWER 117
EXPERIENCE 5: TIME, PLANNING , AND PRODUCTIVITY READING
Creating a More Efficient and Focused Schedule
The best way to give your schedule an efficiency makeover is to begin with fixed commitments, study
time, and then all other commitments. Using a blank day-planner, initially fill in only those items which
are fixed commitments (sleep, courses, work, travel time, meals, etc). These are the tasks which absolutely
must be done, and with some variation for your course schedule, these time blocks won’t move around
much from week to week. Be sure to review the record you made of a full week’s worth of activities,
actions, commitments, and tasks as you fill in the new planner, creating your new schedule. Once you have
accounted for the committed times, you should begin to see patterns or blocks of available time.
Though time for studying is not usually fixed (an exception might be scheduled study groups), if you have
committed to your own success in school, then reserving time for studying is a top priority. A general
guideline for out-of-class study time is that for every hour spent in the classroom, you should spend two
hours studying out of the classroom. For more challenging courses, you should allocate three or more
hours outside of class for every classroom hour. Another factor that influences study time in a course is
your skill set compared to the demands of a particular course. For example, if you are a slow reader taking
a history or literature course, you should adjust your study time accordingly. Keep track of the time you
spend studying for each course. Record how long it takes you to complete problem sets, to read chapters in
particular textbooks, etc. This information can be used to help you revise and adjust the study time aspect
of your management plan.
When considering allocating or designating study times, consider times when you are physically and
emotionally ready to study and perform at a high level. Try to match the times of the day when you are
sharpest with times you can study. Also, realize that for many people, studying in one-hour blocks of time
is more effective than studying for three or four hours at a time. If you do study for longer periods of time,
be sure to take periodic breaks.
With your committed time and study time allocated, fill in the rest of your plan with other activities based
on how you usually spend your time.
Creating a workable and efficient schedule is somewhat like filling a large jar. Think of your important
commitments as large stones. Put them in the jar first. Then add pebbles (smaller tasks and less critical
activities) which will fill the spaces between the stones. Finally, finish by adding sand (the small and quick
tasks which can be done nearly anytime) which fills the space between the pebbles. Not only is there room
for more than you might imagine, if you don’t put the big stones in first, you’ll never get them in at all.
Prioritizing: Making the Best Use of Your Time
“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least.”
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Your time is finite (there are only 24 hours in a day, after all), and finding a way to work in all the things
you need and want to do can be a challenge. Add deadlines to this, and it becomes even more complicated.
This is why people who manage their time wisely focus on deciding what tasks or projects should be
scheduled, done first, or given a higher degree of importance when scheduling their time. Assigning relative
importance or priority is called prioritizing.
For example, Zach blocked out two hours of “Study Time” on Wednesday night, but he has a mid-term
exam in a class on Thursday, needs to create a draft outline for a paper which is due next week, and has
to get a new tire for his car because of the flat he got this afternoon. On top of all this, he’s been asked