Time Management Strategies for Success

So many things compete for our time. Sports, friends, electronics and many other activities intrude into study/homework time during the school year. This page will give students some ideas on how to set priorities for which work gets done first, how to "chunk" work time and other time management strategies to reduce stress and anxiety.

D. I. D. - prioritizing tasks

Due date: When is this assignment due? Usually something that is due tomorrow takes precedence over something that is due next week, but we also consider....

Importance: How important is the assignment to your average? A test or paper due two days from now may deserve some of your prime study time tonight, bumping a simple worksheet assignment to the end of the night, when your energy is flagging.

Difficulty: How difficult is the assignment? Some people are best off taking on their most difficult assignment right at the beginning of their study time, while they are still fresh. Others, however, benefit from easing into the work by starting with an assignment they can finish quickly and well, thus building momentum. In almost every case, that important task (test, quiz or paper) should come either first or second.

By continually asking yourself, When is it due? How important is it? How difficult will it be?" you will find a better way to plan your study/homework time. When you feel overwhelmed by too many things to do, just remember D. I. D. and regain a sense of control over your studies.

What kind of a studier are you?

Are you a sprinter, a student who can work well on a subject for only short periods of time, or a marathon runner, a student who prefers to not be disturbed until a task is completed?

Depending upon our personal circumstances, we all have been sprinters at some times and marathoners other times, but it is likely that we are more often one than the other.  Decide which type of studier you primarily are and plan accordingly: 
           

• The sprinters should work for 15-20 minutes, then get up and get a glass of water or play with the dog for 5 minutes, and then sit down and start work for another       15-20 minutes, repeating this cycle until the work is done.  The most extreme sprinters may also need to shift from one subject to another each session - which is fine as long as they remember to keep coming back to each assignment until it's completely done! (When you are upset, exhausted, or distracted, sprinting is often the best way to go)
• The marathoners are better off planning a longer stretch of time (30-60 minutes) during which they will complete most of or all their high-priority work, and then
• Take a short break (if it won't distract you) before settling down for another session (this second session should be the low-priority work).  For marathoners in particular, a quiet study area - and no cell phone or instant messaging! - is a must.