Do you always do last minute work to meet deadlines for assignments?
Are you missing classes to do your assignments or projects?
Do you find that you do not have time for yourself, friends or family members?
If your answer is "Yes" to these questions, then it is timely to develop your time management skills.
What stops you from managing your time? Do you have the misconception that time management means you will have to live a rigid life and that you will lose spontaneity?... On the contrary, good time management helps you to create a personal schedule that allows for flexibility and caters to your needs!
The following time management tools can help you to plan your time for a more successful and fulfilling journey in NTU:
1. Semester Calendar
A. Template for your use
B. Why you need it?
In a semester, you will invariably need to cope with numerous demands, both academic and personal. Without proper planning, you will easily lose track of them. A semester calendar gives you the "big picture" of the whole semester. It helps you not to overlook an assignment or a quiz. You can also use it to keep track of your progress of a particular project.
C. How to use it?
i. Fill in all the important dates of events related to your study (e.g. deadlines for projects, test dates, etc.)
ii. For a big project, break them down into smaller tasks. Use the deadline to work backwards to estimate the time needed to complete each task of the project. Put them on the calendar. For example, if you are required to submit a term paper, the smaller tasks can be: decide on a topic, research, read relevant articles, plan outline, write 1st draft, 1st editing, 2nd editing and submit paper. The number of times needed for editing may vary from paper to paper.
iii. Fill in the dates you want to begin to prepare for your quizzes/exams.
iv. May also include important dates for personal/social events.
v. Place it on the wall of your room so that you can conveniently and consistently refer to it.
2.Weekly Schedule
A. Template for your use
B. Why you need it?
It gives you a more realistic picture about how much time is available to you for your study and other tasks for the coming week. You can also plan and see how your time is spent.
C. How to use it?
i. Fill in all your fixed schedules or commitments including your lectures, tutorials, labs, working hours, meal time, sleep hours, etc.
ii. Allocate study and recreation/social time from the remaining hours and keep some as flexible hours.
iii. Monitor your progress by using a different symbol or colour on the time block that you are to follow.
iv. Review this weekly schedule at the end of the week to decide what changes you want to make for the following week.
3. Daily To Do List
A. Template for your use
B. Why you need it?
It helps you to effectively use the 24 hours you have for the day and put the important and urgent things first. It also helps you to establish your priorities.
C. How to use it?
i. Come up with this list the night before or the beginning of the day
ii. Set time limits for the tasks you want to complete. You may want to double the time limit as we tend to underestimate the time we need in doing or completing a task.
iii. Establish your priorities according to urgency and importance.
iv. Ask yourself "What is the highest priority now?"
v. Bring it with you all the time
vi. Tick off the item you have completed.
