Tip of the Day - Time Management

Break it down!

Do you have an extensive assignment approaching, like your English research paper? Something so large can seem daunting, and you end up putting it off until the last minute. Break it down!

Outline the major due dates - topic, rough draft, bibliography, etc. Set dates for yourself on each part.

Is the required length 10 pages? Write a page a day for 10 days.

Little bits of success are motivating. Big disasters can ruin everything. Need help? Stop by!

Agendas

So, you're in class, and you really need to use the restroom. Your teacher asks for your agenda, and you've lost it. Remember - agendas are the only way you are allowed to move about the school - you have 4 pages of passes!

If you need a new agenda, you can purchase one for $6 from the main office.

Tip of the Day - Time Management

So now you have several days of data on how you spend every minute of your 24 hours. Now it's time to analyze this time.

Make a second list for each day, this time grouping together like activities. For example, all of your classes should be lumped together - but NOT lunch. Are you in clubs or sports? Those activities should be together.

After you've divided up all of your time into these categories, rank them in order of importance. How do you determine importance? It will be different for everyone. However, be REAL! Do not put "Video Games" before attending school. Ask an adult to help you if you get stuck.

Once your activities are ranked, you should see time that is wasted in your day. Again, ask someone to review this list, because sleeping and eating times are not "wasted" - they are necessary for survival, and I would argue they are the most important items in your day. But if you spend 12 hours sleeping and 4 hours eating, that's another story.

Tip of the Day - Time Management

Are you using your planner and still not getting everything done? still forgetting items? For three days, keep a list of everything you do. Yes, everything! From eating to going to class to riding in the car to sleeping, keep track of how long every item in 72 hours takes you to complete. After you have this three-day record, take some time to look it over and see if you have pockets of time that are not being used wisely. If you need help, stop by and I will gladly look at a day in your life and make some suggestions for increasing your productivity.

Tip of the Day - Time Management

You know that nifty little red agenda we gave you on the first day of school? Use it! After scrolling through all of the Student Handbook information, there are several different calendars. The first is by month. The second, by week.

Use your monthly calendar to:

• Keep track of evening events, like club meetings, presentations, or sporting events
• List birthdays or anniversaries
• Note days off of school
• List due of dates of large assignments - final exams, research papers, presentations, etc.
  

Use your weekly calendar to:

• Keep track of homework assignments
• Plan out big projects - i.e. write pages 1-3 of English research paper on Monday, pages 4-6 on Tuesday, etc.
• Make a "to do" list for the "others" in life - buy a birthday card, call your grandma, bring in lunch money, etc.

Once you get used to writing things down, you will develop a habit. Keep the lists going on paper so that you do not have to remember them in your head.