Page 122 - Learning to Learn

READING EXPERIENCE 5: TIME, PLANNING , AND PRODUCTIVITY
122 L EARNING TO LEARN: BECOMING A SELF-GROWER
Zach talks about using the Action Priority Matrix:
QuickWins: I’m taking a course where a significant part of our grade depends upon our involvement
and interaction in online discussions. That’s something that I enjoy, and it doesn’t take much effort
on my part (I have a laptop and Internet connection at home).
Busy Work: My job at the fitness center qualifies as busy work. It doesn’t take a lot of effort, and it’s
not the kind of work I plan to do professionally. It’s just a job to help me pay for textbooks and gas.
Running in Place: OK, I decided to take an accounting class because Kylie was registering for
it. Bad idea. I’m a Communications major, so the course is an elective, and it’s
not at all easy for me. I spend more time doing homework for that class than any
THREE of my other classes!
Major Projects: This will sound a little strange, but I’m actually helping a couple
of grad students with a Comm project. We’re interviewing some of the residents
of local retirement homes and collecting oral histories from people who remember
the city before the highway was built and when Prohibition was in place. Amazing
stories! Anyhow, I get some academic credit, but more importantly, it’s the kind of
thing I want to do after I graduate.
Making it Happen: When you’ve got it planned, how do you get it DONE?
There are hundreds of software programs and many hand-held devices that can help you plan and manage
your time, create efficient and useful schedules, and prioritize tasks. Some programs are free (try searching
for ‘time management programs’ in a search engine), and others are very reasonably priced. Most time
management programs allow you to assign priorities, due dates, and categories to task lists while others
integrate calendars and reporting functions. Some people are much more comfortable with a hand-written
‘to-do’ list that they can carry around with them and add or cross off items as needed. You simply need
to decide how high a priority managing your time and schedule is and how much time and effort you’re
willing to invest in finding or creating a system that will work for you. It can be a valuable and rewarding
project or a nice quick win. Avoid using or creating a system that turns time management into busy work
or running in place.
While the challenges of managing time are similar for students and professionals, there are some additional
considerations when trying to manage courses and study time. Because you take different courses (all of
which have their own schedules, fixed dates, and deadlines) every term or semester, it makes good sense
to organize your time for different time intervals.
On a monthly and semester or term basis
The Course Record Keeper presented as part of the Resources is an ideal tool for staying organized in
all of your courses. Use the Course Record Keeper along with a blank monthly calendar (which you fill
in) and the syllabus from each course to keep on top of important deadlines and dates associated with
your courses. Refer to these tools on a regular basis and update the information accordingly.
On a weekly basis
Fill in a schedule for the week with committed times, study times, and other uses of your time.
On a daily basis
To-do lists are helpful for prioritizing tasks on a daily basis. Be sure to Label or categorize the items
in order of importance (ABC or 1 through 5).