Page 240 - Foundations of Learning, 4th Edition (Revised)

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, it is more effective to study
in one-hour blocks of time than to study 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

234 Foundations of Learning