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3. Time Management
One of a series of booklets supporting transition from further education to higher education.

Student Workbook

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The overall aim of trans:it is to support the transition from further education to higher education and thereby increase the long term learning effectiveness of students. There are six topics in the series, covering a range of aspects of learning: 1.You and Higher Education 2.The Independent Learner 3.Time Management 4.Managing Information 5.Writing for Higher Education 6.Group Work For each topic there is: written material for students; guidance notes for tutors; and an online interactive version. The online version is available at www.transitwestyorkshire.ac.uk

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SECTION 3: TIME MANAGEMENT

Introduction Managing time and in particular juggling all the things they have to do in life - is probably the greatest challenge that higher education (HE) students face. In all surveys of experiences of HE students of all ages, this issue comes out top of their list of concerns. For younger students, an HE course may be the first time they have had to work independently from the support given by other people, particularly parents and college tutors. They now have to juggle with - not just the demands of course work - but with all other aspects of life, including laundry and cooking, if they are in halls of residence, and often with part-time or full-time employment. For mature students, their studies may have to be managed alongside the responsibilities of running a home, being a parent, carer, and employee; its not easy. Section 3 of Trans:it looks at how you currently manage time, offers a range of advice, and presents four case studies of students with time management problems. Contents of this Section Unit 1: How well do you manage time? This unit includes a self-assessment exercise and questionnaire that invites you to think about how well you currently manage your time. Pages 2- 6

Unit 2: Time traps

This unit looks at three common time traps Pages 7 - 11 for students: procrastination, perfectionism, and poor planning, and examines what can be done to manage these. This unit presents a range of techniques and tips on managing time. Four case studies, representing common time management problems, are presented for discussion. Recommended websites and additional reading. Pages 12 - 25 Pages 26 29

Unit 3: About time Unit 4: Case studies

Page 30 - 31

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Unit 1: How well do you manage time?

How well do you manage time? What do you consider to be your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to managing time? One example of a time management strength is suggested below, can you think of other strengths or weaknesses that apply to you? My time management strengths (Example: being punctual for paid employment) My time management weaknesses

Now complete the following time management questionnaire. Score yourself according to your answers as follows: 2 for always, 1 for sometimes, 0 for never and total your score at the end of the questionnaire. Always = 2; Sometimes = 1; Never = 0.

I prioritise the things that need to be done. I usually finish what I set out to do in any day. In the past I have always got academic work done on time. I feel I make the best use of my time.
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I can tackle difficult or unpleasant tasks without using delaying tactics and
wasting time

I force myself to make time for planning my course work. I am spending enough time planning ahead. I prepare a daily or weekly list of tasks to be accomplished. I prioritise my list in order of importance, not urgency (importance is what
you want to do; urgent is what you have to do).

I am able to meet deadlines with time to spare. I can usually keep up-to-date with my reading and course assignments. I prevent interruptions from distracting me from high priority tasks. I avoid spending too much time on things that divert me from what I
should be doing.

I feel I spend enough time on course work. I plan time for relaxation in my weekly schedule. I have a weekly schedule on which I record fixed commitments, such as
lectures and tutorials.

I try to do the most important tasks during my peak energy periods of the
day.

I make use of travel time to read course work. I regularly reassess my activities in relation to my goals. I have made a point of stopping activities that are wasting time.
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I judge myself by the completion of tasks, rather than by the amount of

activity spent on them.

I decide what needs to be done and am not controlled by events or what

other people want me to do.

I have a clear idea of what I want to accomplish during the coming

semester.

I am satisfied with the way I use my time. I usually turn up on time for appointments and other commitments.

Your total score

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Your score

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47 - 50 points: You appear to be an excellent time manager.

own strategies with those suggested in the units.

You may,

however, be interested to read the remaining units in this section to compare your

38 - 46 points:

Generally you are a good time manager, but you may find the

remaining units in this section of interest to you as it will help you to review how you currently plan your time.

30 - 37 points: You are managing your time fairly well, but sometimes feel
overwhelmed. We suggest that you read the rest of the units in this section, as there will be tips in it you may find helpful.

25 - 36 points: Your degree course is likely to be stressful and less than

satisfying unless you take steps to manage you time more effectively. We suggest, therefore, that you read the rest of the units in this section and look at time management books and websites to learn more about time management.

Less than 25 points: Your life is out of control!

We suggest you read the rest

of the units in this section and discuss the difficulties you have managing time with a study adviser or tutor at your university or college.

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To improve your time management, what are the two most important things you need to do? Write in the space below. I need to I need to

Key points from Unit 1 Many higher education students find managing their time difficult they are often juggling with different commitments, including employment, home responsibilities, as well as course work. The starting point is about understanding our strengths and weaknesses in managing time. We need to make a commitment to ourselves to improve areas of time management that are proving to be particularly stressful to ourselves and others.

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Unit 2: Time Traps

In Unit 1 you were asked to think about the two most important things you needed to do to improve your time management. Did they fall into one or more of the following?

Three Big Time Traps for Students

Procrastination

Perfectionism

Poor Planning:

Putting off starting until the last minute

Trying to get things perfect this causes tasks to stack up

Problems with planning ahead and balancing tasks

To what extent do you fall into one or more of these time traps? 1. Procrastination Procrastination is the avoidance of starting a task. For some, it can become a habitual way of responding to some, many, or most tasks. This can result from one or more of the following. Tick those that apply to you. Other students around me are doing or saying things that appear to be more interesting.

I struggle to make sense of a subject(s) that I find difficult, not engaging, or irrelevant.

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I am anxious about what is expected of me by tutors.

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I worry about failure: I would prefer to be viewed and judged by others as lacking in effort, rather than ability. My response to tasks can be affected by feelings ranging from depression, to just not being in the mood.

I can sometimes feel overwhelmed or frozen by all the tasks I face . I can experience boredom, or an aversion to some of the subjects I have to study. I am impulsive and easily swayed from one task to another. I under-estimate the time needed to complete tasks, so I put things off, thinking I have more time than is really the case. I enjoy working under pressure and relish the buzz of working close to time limits. I do not like to be still or seated for too long. I have got into a habit of avoiding unpleasant tasks. I dont like having my life dictated by the demands of others . Some students argue that they procrastinate strategically to spur themselves to produce creative work. But you need to be honest - do you really produce good work under pressure? Or is this just a rationalisation of your behaviour? If you make this claim, can you prove it by comparing work written under pressurised and unpressurised time conditions?

If you ticked any of the procrastination boxes, write in the spaces in the grid that follows:

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With regards to procrastination, the two things I would like to change the most are: 1.

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My own thoughts, at this stage, on how I might begin to change are:

2.

2. Perfectionism Most people want to do a good job and be rewarded by others for their efforts; this is healthy and normal. But flawed perfectionism is about a compulsive drive toward an impossible goal, and about measuring ones own worth exclusively in terms of what you have accomplished. Flawed perfectionists will beat themselves up emotionally for achieving less than perfect results. A less than perfect grade will cause them to fixate on a task and spend more time on it than is reasonable or necessary, whilst remaining oblivious to their own need to rest and keep their life in perspective. This can result from one or more of the following. Tick those that apply to you. I want or need to live up to other peoples standards. I want or need to live up to an unflawed image I have of myself. I am driven largely by work related goals and find it difficult to relax away from work tasks.

I have built up a reputation as someone always hard-working and capable; I dont want to do things that risk damaging this self -image. I have a real fear of being seen by others to make mistakes . I hate criticism and will strive unremittingly to avoid it.

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If you ticked any of the perfectionism boxes, write in the spaces in the grid that follows: With regards to perfectionism, the two things I would like to change the most are: 1. My own thoughts, at this stage, on how I might begin to change are:

2.

3. Poor Planning Poor planning is about not thinking clearly enough about how long it might take to complete a task. This can result from one or more of the following. Tick those that apply to you. I dont have much sense of how long it takes to complete tasks. I come from a society, culture or family that is relaxed about time.

I find it difficult to prioritise tasks: to decide which is the most important. I often think I have more time at my disposal than I really have. I dont have a lot of patience for planning; I prefer to just let things happen.
I dont have much experience or practice in managing tasks for myself

If you ticked any of the poor planning boxes, write in the spaces in the grid that follows:

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With regards to poor planning, the two My own thoughts, at this stage, on things I would like to change the most are: 1. how I might begin to change are:

Key points from Unit 2 There are three big time traps for students: procrastination, perfectionism, and poor planning. Anxiety is often at the heart of procrastination and perfectionism. Poor planning can be the result of a lack of experience in planning; other people have taken responsibility for you, or you are from a culture that is very relaxed about time. Understanding the causes of these time traps is a starting point for making change.

End of unit 2.

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Unit 3: About Time

This unit is about ways you might manage time more effectively. It offers a range of techniques that have worked for many students. But before you look at these, have you a good time management tip or tips that works for you? Look at the time management tips suggested by undergraduate students at the University of Bradford at a time management workshop, and add any of your own tips to the blanks.

Reward yourself by having an

hour off after doing a couple of hours work.

year undergraduate

I work best in the mornings, so try and get my reading done then

Concentrate on one thing at a

time: forget the other things you have to do; just focus on one task at a time.

I put a sign on my door: Do not disturb when I am reading, and people do respect that

Thinking about what you have

to do is the worst bitonce you get started, it gets OK. So my advice is to just get on with it!

You cant work all the time you need to build in time when you just chill

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Time Management Tips

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The most effective and sustainable time management systems are those that are the simplest and make the task of managing your time as easy as possible. There are four key elements to scheduling, prioritising and managing time: 1. 2. 3. 4. A long term view Prioritisation of tasks Daily scheduling of tasks Avoiding distractions

Here are some tips for each of these.

1. A long term view All HE students at the start of each year are given a calendar of important dates, e.g. dates of the semesters, dates of the exams. They are also given individual module calendars, which list the important dates for each subject studies. The following is an example of a module outline, which lists all the dates of classes and key dates for submission of work: Module: Writing for and Academic Purposes

Week 1: Week 2:

Introduction to the course Language of advertising (1)

Week 3: Week 4:

Advertising & Promotion in Practice: practical exercise Public Relations & Marketing

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Week 5:

Business communication (1)

Week 6:

Business communication (2)

Week 7:

Journalism, biography & other writing

Week 8:

Academic writing (1): essay writing

Break for Spring Holiday

Week 9:

Academic writing (2): how to get the best grades

Week 10
st

No class this week Bank Holiday on 1 May. Individual tutorials to be arranged

Week 11:

Academic writing (3): report writing Individual leaflet (item 5 of portfolio) and group project entries must be handed in at this class.

Week 12:

Individual leaflets and group project; discussion and prize winners announced Remainder of portfolio (items 1-4) must be handed in by 3.00pm today.

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2. Prioritisation of tasks

Prioritisation is the key to the effective management of time. It involves reviewing your tasks and prioritising them in any given period. Urgent versus Important In order to make long lasting and effective changes to how you manage your time you will need to decide what the important things are in your life. Stephen Covey, a well known management guru, suggests the following table as an effective way of analysing this: Urgent Important Essay deadlines Lectures Setting Goals Eating Checking your e-mail Socialising Not Urgent Planning your time Reflecting on your learning Working towards your goals Escape activities (e.g. watching TV, playing computer games etc.)

Not Important

Each quadrant relates to a sphere of your life. The challenge is to ensure that those activities that are important but not urgent do not become overshadowed by maintenance tasks and escape activities. When we procrastinate, it tends to mean that the lower right hand quadrant is taking more importance than the upper quadrants.

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Prioritisation Poster

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Rank tasks in each column in order of time scale and priority. You can use post-it stickers on these columns to identify and rank the tasks facing you. Priority (NOW) Important (Soon) Pending (Later)

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The Matterhorn Approach If you were to climb the Matterhorn Mountain, it is likely you would do it in planned stages. It is the same with HE assignments: although you will need to prioritise which tasks to tackle first, you do not need to attempt to complete them in one go. With lengthy tasks, such as projects, or even long essays, it is often better to break them down into a series of stages that you can manage in any given time.

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If you do this, you can simultaneously manage a number of challenging tasks by allocating different time slots on a weekly and daily basis to the respective stages of each task.

Planning a project timetable Most coursework assignments are completed over a relatively short time. However, individual or group projects are likely to be more spread out over three or more months. It's easy to keep telling yourself that there's plenty of time, right up to the moment when you realise that there really isn't! To plan a project timetable, you first need to decide on the tasks needed to complete the project. A typical list of tasks might be: Start background reading Present project proposal Gather information (by primary research, reading etc) Write first draft Edit and write final draft Proof read and finish (check references, layout, binding etc)

A schedule for a project might look like this:

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Start background reading Presentation on project proposal ready for Complete background reading and decide on methods Gather information Draft chapter to show to supervisor Finish first draft Edit/write final draft Proof read, bind and submit for Weekly Schedules

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End of November End of December End January During first two weeks of February By second week of March End of March End of first week April 28 April

Having decided on whatyour priority tasks are, and when tasks broadly need to be completed, you can then schedule hourly slots of work on a weekly basis, using grids similar to the two examples that follow. Example 1:
Times Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

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Example 2

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Fill in existing commitments (lectures, seminars, paid work, regular sports activities etc). Identify and book yourself your best times for study. Keep this somewhere you can see it as a constant reminder! Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

MORNING

AFTERNOON

EVENING

Tip! When you're planning your workload always make sure that you build in some extra time in case you need it. So set your own deadlines a few days before you actually have to hand work in, and work to these. If you finish early, you've got more time for yourself!

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3. Daily Scheduling of Tasks

Once you have a time plan over a block period, you can then look at a daily plan. A simple daily organiser is all that is needed. Yellow stickers are useful to list each item for the day; there is a sense of satisfaction gained from taking these off as each planned task is accomplished. However, the number of daily tasks scheduled should be manageable for any one day otherwise you will inevitably get stressed. Be fair to yourself dont give yourself more daily tasks than you can realistically manage.

TO DO TODAY

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4. Avoiding Distractions

What are your main distractions from getting on with study? Write the things that tend to distract you from study, then compare your list with the list of the Top ten distractions from study reported by HE students. The main things that distract me from getting on with study are: Distractions:

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Top ten study distractions

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A survey of students at the University of Reading found the following were the main distractions from their study: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Instant messaging/Emails Phone calls and texts Facebook- Bebo - My Space Surfing the Net Computer games Television Food & drink Tidying your room Family commitments Housework

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Dealing with distractions

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The same students were asked what advice they would give to help others avoid being distracted by these things.

"Keep yourself logged out while studying. Instant messaging and emails Switch on the pop-up blocker and mute the volume if I have to be logged on so I don't get distracted by alerts." "Fix a time when you're going to look at your messages, and how long you're going to spend on them - then set an alarm so you know when to stop."

Phone calls and texts

Mute your phone and put it somewhere you can't see it! Check it when you have a break from study also set up your voicemail to say that you'll be free at certain times, so your mum doesn't worry if she doesn't get an answer".

Facebook/ Bebo/ MySpace

"An application like Leechblock is good. It temporarily restricts the amount of time you're allowed to spend on certain websites. It's a good trick to use to break the habit and prove to yourself that the world doesn't stop turning if you don't check your Facebook every five minutes."

Surfing the Net

"Unplug your Ethernet cable or temporarily disable your Wi-Fi." "If you need to use the net for research, make a list of questions you need answered before you start, and stick to it."

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"Work somewhere very public like the library, or your department so you're not tempted." Computer games "If the games you're playing are online, you could use Leechblock to reduce the amount of time you spend on them. Or disable your Internet connection."

"Check the schedules for the things you really want to watch and set reminders on your mobile. Or record them to watch later." Television "Get out of the habit of turning the telly on when you walk into a room!"

Food and drink

"When I'm working at home, the kettle's always calling me! So I fill a vacuum flask at the beginning of my study session and keep it on my desk so I don't get up and lose my concentration."

Tidying your room and other chores

"I fix a time to do these after lunch when my brain doesn't work so well. Then I dont persuade myself that I HAVE to get them out of the way before I start studying."

Family commitments

"If I'm not careful I end up giving my family half my attention all the time (and not really focusing on study with the other half). I think it helps to give them my undivided attention for some of the time, and then they're more likely to understand when I have to work."

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"Lower your standards! Only wash up once a day and no-one needs ironed duvet covers." Housework "I just had to tell myself, well, I've worked hard to get to university, and I deserve to have the time to study and get good marks. I'll clean the cooker when I graduate!"

Key points from Unit 3 There are four main elements to effective time management: 1. Identifying priorities 2. Long term scheduling of tasks 3. Short-term (weekly & daily) scheduling of tasks 4. Identifying and dealing with distractions

End of Unit 3.

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Unit 4: Case Studies

What advice would you give to the HE students featured in the following case studies? All the case studies are true to life. Your tutor will discuss these case studies with you. Alternatively, you can check the answers yourself in the online tutor guidance notes for this Section and Unit.

Dina

Dina was a 2nd year Law student who was struggling to complete her assignment because she was unable to concentrate on reading. She tended to concentrate her reading into the afternoon, as most of her mornings were taken up with attending lectures. She described how she kept reading the same page over and over again without understanding or remembering what shed just read, eventually giving up in despair. Dina described herself as someone who loved reading, who habitually read for pleasure and whose only real problems were on focusing on academic reading. She feared that this difficulty might be a symptom of her being not clever enough for her very competitive course.

What advice/guidance would you give to Dina? Write in the space below.

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Leroy

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Leroy was in the final year of a Geography degree. Having thrown himself into university life with enthusiasm, he was now the Entertainment Editor of the weekly student newspaper and president of the Geography Society. These commitments took up a substantial amount of time, in addition to which Leroy was trying to complete a 12,000 word dissertation, two essays, and begin his revision for Finals. He felt completely overwhelmed and had got to the stage where he could not decide what to do first, and so was doing nothing. This was increasing his anxiety.

What advice/guidance would you give to Leroy? Write in the space below.

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Joe

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Joe has a tendency to build a task up in his mind into something bigger than it really is and beyond what is expected of him by his tutors. He becomes convinced he cannot deliver what he thinks is expected of him by the university in the time available. This reduces his confidence, increases his anxiety and leads to procrastination in starting assignments.
What advice would you give to Joe? Write in the space below.

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Anita

Anita is a part-time mature student in higher education and is finding it increasingly difficult to prioritise her time. She has a partner and two children in their teens, and is rapidly becoming overwhelmed with all the things required of her both at home and for the HE course. These include all the chores she feels she has to do for others in her household, plus the set reading and work for course assignments.
What advice would you give to Anita? Write in the space below.

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Recommended websites and additional reading

Websites
LearnHigher LearnHigher is a network of sixteen UK institutions of higher education that have combined to develop resources to support students learning. One of the LearnHigher resources relevant to this section is the Time Management resources section, organised by the University of Reading Time Management Tips from Students This website is developed by Middlesex University and contains hundreds of time management tips from students. The tips are broken into sections, e.g. family, childcare, writing essays, planning tips etc. Time Management Tutorial This is an interactive time management tutorial developed by the University of Leeds. It takes you through different stages of time management, including planning and prioritising your work. Get ready for university Time Management This site, designed by Napier University, is aimed at new students. It includes an interactive exercise to help you think of time management strategies that will work for you.
http://www2.napier.ac.uk/getready/ managing_studies/time.html http://www.ldu.leeds.ac.uk/skills/diary/ http://studymore.org.uk/timetips.htm http://www.learnhigher.ac.uk/learningareas/ timemanagement/home.htm

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The Study Skills Handbook, by Stella Cottrell, published by Palgrave.

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This study skills bestseller has a very useful and practical selection of tips on time management; highly recommended. Skilful Time Management, by Peter Levin, published by the Open University Press. This book contains time management advice aimed particularly at new students. Other recommended books at offer good advice for managing time, although not specifically in a student/learning context: Forsyth, P. (2003). Successful Time Management, London: Kogan Page. Haynes, M.E. (2000). Make Every Minute Count, London: Kogan Page. Croft, C. (1996). Time Management, Thompson Business Press.

End of Section 3.

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The West Yorkshire Lifelong Learning Network (WYLLN) is a partnership of higher education institutions, further education colleges and other organisations throughout West Yorkshire all committed to providing quality vocational progression for learners into higher education. trans:it is supported by WYLLN and was developed at the University of Bradford School of Lifelong Education and Development.

www.wylln.ac.uk

www.bradford.ac.uk

July 2010
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