Time Management

 I agree. It's all about balance. You can't put off the work indefinitely, but you can't just work all day either. The other thing I always recommend is getting a calendar and scheduling absolutely everything. When a paper is due, when to start looking for sources, when to start editing, etc. It has always helped me know when I need to be working on something and when I still have some time.  The other thing that can be helpful is alternating academic and non-academic tasks. Do homework for half an hour, get up and make dinner, do a little more homework, wash the dishes, etc. It helps to keep you from burning out while also making sure your other responsibilities aren't ignored.

I am definitely utilizing  time management skills I have learned. In college this is a vital skill to master. Many people don't even realize that this is the issue that is causing them to decline in their studies. I posted before about the importance of a calendar or scheduler to keep track of all obligations and priorities. Well, it even better is to highlight the tasks with different colors according to their importance. This way, you can finish the most important things first, then the next most important, then finally, having done so, you will have time for the least important. The things you WANT to do, but are very important or pressing. Time management like this takes a little effort up front, but in the long run, you are saving time for leisure, which is not only fun, but reduces anxiety and improves grades.

Time is something I struggle with a bit. I have many temptations when it comes to using my time unwisely. I absolutely love video games and love procrastinating on the internet (such as on these forums). It is often hard for me to choose studying over playing. One thing I like to do is make a list of everything I absolutely need to get done today. If I get all those things finished, I can choose to do whatever I want with no guilt of wasting time. Otherwise, I will feel like I should be studying instead of playing, and that will hinder my enjoyment of my free time.

Time management is crucial to success in school and its practice directly translates to the professional world. A great resource for time management tips and strategies is mindtools.com. There are several articles on tools to help develop your time management skills. You will find yourself quickly overwhelmed if you do not discipline yourself to prioritize and separate your time between school, hobbies, personal time, friends, and all the other distractions you encounter on campus. The tool I personally find most effective in keeping track is my phone's calendar. I recommend inputting all class assignments into the calendar and schedule out your time to allow an appropriate amount of time for each assignment. Stick to your schedule as much as possible and you will find you have more time for other activities than you might have thought without "mapping" your days.  

I was blessed throughout undergrad. I was one of those people who could start writing a paper at 8 pm the night before it was due and finish by 1am. And I was one of those students who would get an "A" or "A-" on just about everything I submitted. I don't know how I did it; in all honesty, I worried myself to the point of exhaustion on so many occasions. I felt as though I submitted awful papers or assignments most of the time under this work model. Surely, my self-doubt would be erased the minute I received my grade. But it was stressful, nonetheless. I think some people will look at that and think, "So what, you obviously didn't have to worry about time management because you were able to get by without trying." Let's be clear. I always did my research well ahead of schedule. I had notes and outlines typed up far in advance. I couldn't start a paper from scratch the night before -- but I could write its content. And it didn't always work in my favor. My final semester of undergrad work, I had three huge research papers due in one week. I was sure I'd start writing the content the night before they were due. I had more than enough time to ensure they were written well and handed in on time. Except... that last week, I had bronchitis, and none of my professors would extend the deadlines on my final projects. So I was up to a certain Creek without a paddle, if you catch my drift. I did finish all the assignments on time, including a 20-page paper on Finnish agriculture policy. And I got A's in all the classes, though I don't know how I did on the final projects.  I would recommend that you get into a rhythm -- separate your papers and projects and studying into components. Papers should be researched a few weeks in advance. They can be written whenever, but if you're not strong with writing, then you need to do a draft or two before you submit the final product. And exams...  Study as much as you need to know a week before the test. Just be careful to follow the course outline in your studies, and I would surely pay attention to what the professor tells you to be mindful of. Most professors conduct review sessions or at least go through the format of the test. It never hurts to ask which information he or she may cover. And you should have plenty of time to study it. The final tidbit, of course, is to look at all your courses outlines and makes sure there aren't overlapping projects. And if there are, you need to move up the due dates for some projects. Make a mental note of it. Just so you can have enough time to complete the assignment.

I have never really been one for making a specific schedule for my days and sticking to it. And it's not that I can't stick to a schedule. It's that life is random, and you must adjust every day. Some days, you may need to study organic chemistry for two hours, others you may not even need to look at it. So setting aside a specific amount of time for a certain thing doesn't work for me, I just let it flow. Adapt and adjust. Then again, I am not exactly an expert on time management.

When I first started my classes, I had a lot to learn about time management. Taking classes online hosts its own set of problems. So many things are there to distract you. The Internet is a help and a hindrance to my homework. I could get caught up surfing the internet for hours instead of doing my assignments. I've learned the best thing to do is to make a day-by-day schedule, to outline the things that I want to get done every day, and a time to finish them by. Some would do better making an hourly planner.

If I employ any sort of time management, it is a subjective and seat-of-the-pants type. First off, while I may occasionally jot down a TODO list, it is typically only good for the particular day, and really only takes place once in a blue moon (when I may be running against a deadline, and I don't feel my focus or concentration is as good as it should be that particular day)... I refuse to use calendars, I refuse to write down appointments...  Instead, I focus on memorizing important events I need to attend. In some ways, it is a curse-- events I could care less about but have some type of obligation to attend (read: meetings), I simply cannot forget about. I wish I could, but I ALWAYS remember them. But then again, the same thing goes for all my activities. I simply remember them. This reduces a level of personal bureaucracy that I don't have to consistently maintain nor need to be all centered in a personal office space. I can just get up and go, and all the important activity information is in my head. Knowing all my important activities and deadlines mentally, I can weave natural priorities for completing them. I try, as with life, not to approach it as a goal, but more of a journey. Particular deadlines may be there, and I may choose to take care of it in advance of the deadline, other times I'll run right up to the deadline. Whatever gives me a better and more fulfilling experience. This form of meaningful time management reflects my personal philosophy of desiring to always learning something new each day, and to live for great luck and great fortune (not necessarily monetary fortune-- I seek intellectual fortune). I see some of the discussion has turned to on-line classes. In my view, on-line classes can be JUST as effective as regular in-class classes. However, it depends upon the promotion of self-directed learning allowed on the part of the student. If the course is highly regimented, whether or not the instructor is active, I tend to avoid them, simply because I don't consider that learning. But open-ended classes (in person or on-line) are absolutely wonderful, and I tend to invest the effort in them, because I value what I am learning. So, while my approach is likely unconventional as compared to your typical "time management" schemes. It works great for me, keeps me sharp, and allows me to focus on the finer things, like more writing!

Time management is probably the single most important skill for any college student.  You go to class and listen to the teacher but really most of the learning comes in the work you do outside class. I don't quite remember the exact time management pattern I had as an undergraduate, but I do know that as a grad student time management is much harder than undergrad, since most grad students hold full-time jobs and go to school at night.  If the student happens to have kids, then it's even harder. For me, now I have just learned to use my lunch breaks at work to do homework.  The days I don't have class, I get off work, get home, relax for an hour, then take a nap for an hour or two, wake up and study till a little after mid night and then go to sleep. Sometimes I like to wake up at 4 am and study. I have realized that the early-morning hour is when I'm most receptive to what I read.

You have a printed schedule, posted somewhere very visible. You wake up every morning, knowing what to do, when to do but still stressed for school’s load of work. What is wrong? I once asked that question too. I've recently read an interesting new book entitled “Young People Ask, Answers that Work”. In one of its chapter “How Can I Manage My Time?” It stated with one very meaningful illustration. For instance, your family will be traveling to some place, and your family members started throwing bags in the car trunk until there seems no more place for your bag. What will you do? Won't you unload the trunk and start loading again the bags, but this time, bigger bags first then the smaller ones? What's the lesson? Know your priority. One book said we must “make sure of the most important things.” Because of this, I tried to reevaluate my schedule and found out that I was spending too much time on recreation, such as playing computer games and watching TV. I immediately changed this habit, and everything seemed to fit into my time. School is really stressful, unless we learn to manage our time effectively. What do you think?

Health is wealth. Sadly, many students agree to that, but their time management doesn't. I, myself,  am sometimes one of them. Sometimes, it is already 4 AM, and I'm still up doing research for a school project or reviewing for examinations. Some would even not even get some sleep! Yet, I realize the truth of the first line I stated; health is on the line. Thus, how important it is not just to say I agree that health is wealth, but it changes one's lifestyle in order to conform to such a principle! While it seems inevitable, actually it is: by having a good time management. Again, it all goes down to the basic: scheduling. Perhaps, we should also take a closer look on how we use our time. I, myself, had found out that I am hooked up with surfing the net and playing computer games. Yet, even though your sole purpose not to sleep early is to improve your grades, getting enough sleep would actually be one way of doing just that. Try it, you'll see. Of course, it is not just limited with getting enough sleep. Many students sometimes skip meals or if not, has poor nutritional diet. If you do, better watch out, health is a wealth that can also be stolen too.  

There are 24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a week, 8760 hours in a year. That’s A LOT of hours. Yet, our activities never seem to fit our time; we have to squeeze ourselves into our schedule instead of the other way around. What could be the reason? It's poor time-management perhaps. Maybe we have to shift our perspective. After all, it's perspective matters. As a college student, we may most likely spend eight hours a day in school or on school-related work. That means only sixteen hours are left for our disposal. Let’s say another six hours are spent on sleep, two on personal hygiene (includes bathing, dressing, and whatnot). So, only eight more hours are left. Now, what in the world happens to those remaining eight hours? Personally, sometimes I feel like all I get to complete are the tasks that should have been completed during those sixteen hours. What do I actually do during the remaining eight hours? What do you do? Now, it’s your turn to think about it. Maybe less important things are eating away on your time. You can bank on two hours of leisure and still have six hours left! Man, those six hours are so elusive. Now, think about it: 24 hours is A LOT of time. 

Lately, my problem has not been time management. I have a lot of time. I mean, I have so much time I don't know what to do with it. The only thing is, I lack the motivation to do things a lot of the time. Lately, I've been wanting to do some things, but I can't bring myself to do them. Sometimes, it's because the task seems too large, like starting a piece of art. Sometimes, I don't feel like I'll get anything out of it. Well, I'm sure it's a phase I'll get out of, but right now it kind of sucks.

Lean time management is different and very useful. As you know, lean means without any waste. Let me explain this term waste in detail. Any task/activity which is not adding any value to improve your life is called waste. But that term waste has some depth in it. For example, if you perform an activity in one hour,  but you are completing that work in two hours, it is a waste. Also remember don't do anything, even it is important, in advance. For example, don't shave at night. If a subject comes in next semester, don't try to discover it now. Do everything when it is needed to be done. Try to travel less. Traveling usually doesn't add value. For example, if you are living 25 miles away from your university. The traveling between university and your residence is a waste in lean time management, as it is not adding value in your life. Do not overdo your task. It is also a waste. For example, if an assignment is required to be of minimum three pages, do not try to exceed. Try to do two things simultaneously, if possible. Reading a good book in the train is a good practice. If you are not expert at an activity, do not do that. First, you will consume a lot of time to learn it, then you will perform it. Avoid those activities which are adding less value in your life. For example, if you are a programmer, and you make 10 dollars per hour do not do your laundry if you can have someone to do it for you in 7 dollars per hour. 

Time = money, this is a very famous theory, which is very much true. What you want in life can be achieved, what you want to can be bought, but time will never come back in life, once it's gone. So the most important thing in life is TIME.  Time management is very necessary, but whenever I tried to do it by making a schedule, it doesn't work. I'm a very lazy person, do less work and waste a lot of time but have very big dreams and desires. How  can somebody utilize his or her time better? Listen, nobody can learn to use time, whoever tell you the tricks and tips, it can only be done through your strong "WHY'. I mean that why you want to do things and how strongly your desire and "why" to do that is. You must concentrate on your aims or goals, whether you are a millionaire's son or daughter, you can earn respect only by utilizing your time and effort and then proving to others, or otherwise other will think your future success to be your father's support. Always remember that time can only be managed by focusing on your goals and on how much strongly your desire is otherwise you will realize the importance of time when it is gone.