Getting Time on Your Side: Tips for Better Time Management by Kim Stewart, MS CCC-SLP
A coffee cup is a coffee cup. You can see it from any angle.
It's undeniable. Time, however, is
not this concrete. You can't see
time, and even though a unit of time is quantifiable, it can feel long or
short. A minute feels really long
when you're in an interview. A
minute is a flash when you're hanging out with your friends. One of the biggest
time management challenges for emerging college students is the shift from a
highly structured high-school schedule to an open-ended college schedule. Only having a few classes a day can
give the illusion that you have all the time in the world. But time can pass very quickly, and all
of the sudden, you're facing a deadline, wondering how you're going to finish
the assignment in time.
To make time more stable, you need to make time visual. Here are some ideas:
- Wear a watch. I know -- you have a cell phone in
your pocket and you look at it all the time. The only problem is that you have to pull it out, which
can look bad in the middle of class and can lead to tempting distractions
if you're in the middle of studying.
- Post a week-at-a-glance "skeleton"
calendar. Put your
classes, practices, or any other activity that will happen at the same
time for the entire semester.
Looking at this will allow you to see where you have free time,
time for studying, and time for the gym. This is a one-time-only calendar that should be filled
out as soon as you have your classes booked and then be posted on your
wall.
- Use a month-at-a-glance calendar. This will help you to track your
big exams, papers, and projects.
You might want to keep this in your room on your wall for regular
access.
- Use a day-at-a-glance calendar. If you're not sure how you're
going to get everything done today that needs to get done, sit down and
plan out your day. Remember
to build in breaks; they are important!
- Put projects on paper. As much as it feels like you can
plan a project in your head, there are too many details to be held in
memory at one. Write down the
steps and estimate how much time each step will take. Schedule your steps onto your
month-at-a-glance calendar.
Making time visual should help you to realize what needs to
get done and when you will do it. It is, of course, critical that you make good use of the time that
you've so carefully scheduled.
Here are some tips that will help you use your time efficiently:
- Exercise early in the day. You will focus better after you
have exercised.
- Make a regular study time and stick to
it.
- Make sure you have what you need
with you when you set out to study.
- Study where you are not faced with
distraction. An empty library carrel, as plain as it sounds, can help
you get through the work faster.
- Take breaks, but don't do things in
your break that will make it hard to go back to work, such as watching TV
or a playing a video game. Save those activities as a reward for meeting your study end goal.
- Don't forget the fun stuff. Time management is as much for
scheduling in the fun that is to be had as it is for getting work
done. Make sure you use your
calendars and emerging time estimation skills for both.
A note on electronic
organizers: These planners can really help, especially since they have
alarms, but you have to remember to look at your planner. Some people, even those with electronic
planners, have more success with written planners because they can remember
what they handwrite better than what they type and/or because they like seeing
the month in once glance vs. needing to click on a square that represents an
event.
Kimberly Stewart MS CCC-SLP is a licensed speech-language
pathologist who specializes in spoken and written language processing and
executive function. She works in private practice in Lexington, Massachusetts
and can be reached at (781) 861-7500 or via email at [email protected].
|
September To-Do Lists
Seniors
- Finalize your essay and short answer response
and complete your common application.
This will enable you to focus on your supplementary essays this fall -- especially
important if you play a fall sport or need to prepare a portfolio or get ready
for auditions.
-
Schedule interviews where available on campus or
in your community
-
Check the scholarship pages of the colleges to
which you are applying to see if you must fill out applications for merit
awards.
-
If you plan to retake the SAT or ACT, or need to take
subject tests, register and prepare now.
Juniors
-
Look for your school's announcement about
signing up for the October PSAT, and respond promptly.
All Students
-
Set goals for the year, and be sure you have the
academic support and structure in place that you need to have a successful
school year. Purchase a planner or learn to use an electronic calendar system.
Reflect on your study habits and areas where you can improve.
|
Need Guidance? Call Today about Our Service Offerings for Rising Juniors and Seniors We are now enrolling rising juniors for college planning. With a range of different services and packages, we strive to offer the support you need during the college application and admission process. Call us at 617-734-3700 for more details.
For seniors who need assistance finalizing their college list, we offer a
college list consult. We can also help with admissions essays and interview preparation. Call us today or email us to arrange an
appointment or to get more information.
|
Connect with Educational Advocates
As you may know, Educational Advocates now has a Facebook page. Our goal is to build a
page that will be fun and helpful not only to high school students, but
also to students once they arrive at college.
You can also follow our blog, which has posts on everything from book and website suggestions for students to advice on dealing with your roommate and avoiding sticker shock at the college bookstore. We will also start archiving our previous newsletter articles on the blog, so be certain to check it often or sign up to get updates when we post.
|