Effective Time Management
1. How can I manage my time better?
Time management is about personal choice. By asking that question, you are making a personal choice that using your time more wisely is necessary. That recognition is an important first step. Using a planning tool (calendar, planner, assignment notebook, electronic device, etc.) is another important step. After that, time management becomes a matter of determining your goals and priorities and sticking with your plan.
2. Where do I start?
Especially at first, it is important to use a planner or some type of assignment book to record your work and its completion dates. Be sure to include any special notes or comments about materials that will be needed to complete the assignment (worksheets, textbooks, website references, etc). As work is completed, put a check mark or other designation to show the work is done. Put completed assignments in your notebook or folder in the section designated for that class. Check your planner frequently during the day/week to make sure you are not forgetting any work.
3. How can I calculate how long assignments or projects will take?
This is a very individual process. It depends on your interests, strengths/weaknesses as a learner, and your prior experience with similar tasks. It also depends on your age level as a learner, with elementary and junior high students having shorter assignments (generally between one and two hours nightly) and high school students slightly longer (between two and three hours nightly). Initially, it helps to estimate the length a task will take to complete and compare that with the actual time upon completion. Over time, you will be able to become more realistic about the time requirements for various assignments and projects and set aside more reasonable amounts of time.
4. How can I organize my time to complete long projects?
At first, this can be a very difficult skill to learn. Initially, it is helpful if the teacher, or adult in charge, breaks down the project and provides checkpoints or due dates along the way. Use those checkpoints to organize your project, making sure you understand what is required at each step along the way. At some point, however, your teacher will assign a large project without providing those checkpoints. For those assignments, it is important to begin at the end. Determine the length of time allowed to complete the project. Break the task down into its various components (what do I need to do to complete the project) and work backwards from the due date to determine when each component should be completed. If you are not sure how to break the project down, work with your teacher, parent or other adult to help you get started. (Research projects, major writing assignments, working models, and/or outside reading assignments fall into the category of long term projects)
5. What are the benefits of time management (why should I care anyway)?
Although this may not matter much now, time management is a life-long skill that will be important for your success as an adult. For the short term, however, effective time management skills will allow you to make more efficient use of your study time and to complete your work in less time. Successful time management allows you enough time to complete your work while still finding time for fun or other activities of your choice.
Time management is about personal choice. By asking that question, you are making a personal choice that using your time more wisely is necessary. That recognition is an important first step. Using a planning tool (calendar, planner, assignment notebook, electronic device, etc.) is another important step. After that, time management becomes a matter of determining your goals and priorities and sticking with your plan.
2. Where do I start?
Especially at first, it is important to use a planner or some type of assignment book to record your work and its completion dates. Be sure to include any special notes or comments about materials that will be needed to complete the assignment (worksheets, textbooks, website references, etc). As work is completed, put a check mark or other designation to show the work is done. Put completed assignments in your notebook or folder in the section designated for that class. Check your planner frequently during the day/week to make sure you are not forgetting any work.
3. How can I calculate how long assignments or projects will take?
This is a very individual process. It depends on your interests, strengths/weaknesses as a learner, and your prior experience with similar tasks. It also depends on your age level as a learner, with elementary and junior high students having shorter assignments (generally between one and two hours nightly) and high school students slightly longer (between two and three hours nightly). Initially, it helps to estimate the length a task will take to complete and compare that with the actual time upon completion. Over time, you will be able to become more realistic about the time requirements for various assignments and projects and set aside more reasonable amounts of time.
4. How can I organize my time to complete long projects?
At first, this can be a very difficult skill to learn. Initially, it is helpful if the teacher, or adult in charge, breaks down the project and provides checkpoints or due dates along the way. Use those checkpoints to organize your project, making sure you understand what is required at each step along the way. At some point, however, your teacher will assign a large project without providing those checkpoints. For those assignments, it is important to begin at the end. Determine the length of time allowed to complete the project. Break the task down into its various components (what do I need to do to complete the project) and work backwards from the due date to determine when each component should be completed. If you are not sure how to break the project down, work with your teacher, parent or other adult to help you get started. (Research projects, major writing assignments, working models, and/or outside reading assignments fall into the category of long term projects)
5. What are the benefits of time management (why should I care anyway)?
Although this may not matter much now, time management is a life-long skill that will be important for your success as an adult. For the short term, however, effective time management skills will allow you to make more efficient use of your study time and to complete your work in less time. Successful time management allows you enough time to complete your work while still finding time for fun or other activities of your choice.