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Updated
Doc’s Answer
The object of time management Oscar is not to live on the same schedule but finding what works best for you. Don’t hesitate to tweak your life here and there. Experiment until you get it right. Everyone has a best study-work time period – when is your performance at its peak Oscar. School timings usually range from 9 am to 3:30 pm, we expect you have a schedule that starts from 8 am. However, you might want to tweak your schedule according to your preferences to improve your study skills. You might want to add a study session around 6-7 am or 9-10 pm after dinner. An extra session of personal studies can help you in the long run. Extra effort never killed anybody. If you’re a night owl, a one-hour study session around 10-11 pm also works (if you like to study at night). Decide what your peak hours of study are and adjust your days accordingly. Adapting time management skills will not only secure your academic results or turn you into a brilliant student, but it trains you for a better lifestyle. Its implementation will help you identify the essential tasks, plan better, set and achieve goals or objectives, differentiate one task from another, respect deadlines, and manage time optimally. These time management tips will help one live a balanced life without stressing over missed deadlines and undone tasks.
Hope this is Helpful Oscar
STAY ORGANIZED – is the single best way to make sure that you are staying on track. Make sure that you always know what assignments need to be completed by what time so that you don't miss any deadlines. Of course, as an adult student, setting a schedule can be easier said than done but it's still important to try. In addition to keeping track of academic deadlines, make sure that you know what else you will need to do on a given day for work or other obligations. Scheduling your time carefully takes practice, but it can be a big help in getting everything done and preventing you from getting overwhelmed.
AVOID MULTITASKING – Procrastination turns an individual into a lazy and unmotivated being. If you cannot manage your time and study plans alone, surround yourself with people having the same goals and study plans. The group study will encourage and motivate you, and this is how one can stay away from procrastinating things. Stay alert; procrastination is the worst enemy of your bright future and time management plans, leading to anxiety. Also, manage your time in a way that keeps your focus on one thing at a time, avoids multi- tasking. Divided attention takes you nowhere; drop the least important task later if they will not penalize you.
BALANCE IS KEY – While creating a timetable or an entire week’s to-do list, don’t forget to take time for your friends, family, other activities, and especially yourself. Highlight the important events that are going to happen. Plan and make sure to manage your time in a way that you get to attend them. Don’t compromise on your diet, sleep hours, and health, mental and physical. If you are struggling hard in completing a task, take the help of your fellow or tutor. Don’t waste your time on something that can be done by following a witty life hack. Seeking advice can save your time and enhance your knowledge. Learn to live a healthy and balanced life.
Hope this is Helpful Oscar
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Updated
James’s Answer
Oscar -
Short question; short answer. Build a routine, a solid foundation in any success story is by building a routine.
Short question; short answer. Build a routine, a solid foundation in any success story is by building a routine.
Hi James! Thanks so much for your advice! Can you provide the student with specific examples of good routines, or things to include in them? Thanks so much in advance!
Alexandra Carpenter, Admin
Updated
Sheila’s Answer
Hi Oscar:
I manage my time by organizing my To-Do-List, which is in Outlook. I shuffle and flag high priority tasks first and go down the list to least important tasks. I set the reminder function so I do not miss deadlines. Here's an article I found with a few additional tips for your consideration.
• KEEP A TO DO LIST - Taking five to 10 minutes at the beginning of each day to write out a to-do list, on paper or digitally, can help promote focus and foster productivity. Adding to the initial to-do list throughout the day can help you keep a clear idea of your goals.
• ORGANIZE AND KEEP YOUR WORKSPACE CLEAN - Take a few minutes at the end of each day to clean your desk, removing anything that you won't absolutely need. Get rid of any trash and place pens in a drawer or organizer and stack papers so they look tidier. You can even fill up your water bottle so you don't have to worry about it in the morning.
• KEEP WITH THE SCHEDULE - Some people work best when they wake up early, while others find success working at night. Determine the time of day when you feel you're at your best and try to get most of your work done during those hours.
• SCHEDULE BREAKS - Taking 10-15 minutes every couple of hours to stretch your body and focus on something other than work can help keep you energized and excited about your job. Find a way to eat meals somewhere other than your desk to give yourself a mental break from work when possible.
• REDUCE MULTITASKING - Multitasking may sound like the perfect way to get many things done at once, but unfortunately, this not true in many situations. You may even find that multitasking can actually take longer than completing tasks individually. Some multitasking is an inevitable part of daily work, but the good news is you can avoid having to multitask more than is necessary by staying organized.
• MINIMIZE DISTRACTIONS - Another helpful strategy for organizing your workday is addressing and minimizing distractions. Emails, texts and phone calls are a few common reasons behind distraction. Fortunately, there are things you can do to address these distractions.
• AUTOMATE YOUR WORK WHERE YOU CAN - Perhaps you send similar versions of the same email to multiple people, or you're often distracted by someone who needs your signature. With the help of technology, you can automate tasks like these to maximize your time and decrease distractions.
• TACKLE TASKS IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE - Instead of starting your day with smaller tasks like answering emails, begin by addressing your largest or most stress-inducing task. This might take the largest amount of time in your day, but it ultimately will help your workflows move faster. Completing the largest jobs first can keep you motivated to finish the smaller tasks on your to-do list quickly without using up all your energy.
• ORGANIZE YOUR WORKDAY BY TIME - This is an especially helpful tactic if there are several meetings interspersed throughout your workday. Scheduling your tasks by the hour can help your day feel more predictable. It can also improve your productivity by serving as a reminder of your current task whenever you get distracted.
• SET GOALS & REWARD YOURSELF - Setting goals can help you become better at your job through motivation. You can set goals for staying organized, like challenging yourself to make a to-do list every day. Or, you can set professional goals that can help you stay engaged at your job.
• SCHEDULE YOUR DAYS IN BATCHES OF WORK - Some people find success with organizing not just their workday, but their workweek. If your job is a mix of phone calls and administrative work, for instance, perhaps you could attend to phone calls Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and spend Tuesdays and Thursdays on administrative tasks.
• IDENTIFY STRESSORS - Many people's tendency to procrastinate stems from stressors such as self-doubt, perfectionism or fear of criticism. Maybe you're worried about negative feedback on that recurring task, or you're concerned you won't be able to make that big deadline. Identifying what's stressing you out can help you find solutions to reduce this stress and make the harder tasks easier to complete.
• MAKE A WEEKLY/MONTHLY PLAN - A daily to-do list can work wonders for completing day-to-day tasks, but it can also be helpful to make a larger list at the beginning of each week or month to structure your time to meet your goals.
• USE YOUR CURRENT WORKFLOWS TO PROMOTE ORGANIZATION - Your workplace may already have workflows or tools in place to help you stay organized at work. Many email applications include a calendar component you can use to schedule your time. Some chat applications have built-in reminder features that can keep you on task. You can ask coworkers or managers how they organize their work and incorporate their advice into your own organizational habits.
• INTRODUCE BALANCE TO YOUR SCHEDULE - One key to staying organized long term is trying to achieve balance. Many people who attempt to implement organizational habits into their professional lives experience burnout when they sacrifice their work-life balance for short-term productivity. A lack of balance can cause you to forget or neglect your organizational habits. The good news is you can always use any of these strategies to renew your organizational skills at work.
Best of luck to you!
How to Organize Your Day • https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-organize-your-day-at-work?aceid=
Set Reminders in Outlook, Watch, Phone, etc.
I manage my time by organizing my To-Do-List, which is in Outlook. I shuffle and flag high priority tasks first and go down the list to least important tasks. I set the reminder function so I do not miss deadlines. Here's an article I found with a few additional tips for your consideration.
• KEEP A TO DO LIST - Taking five to 10 minutes at the beginning of each day to write out a to-do list, on paper or digitally, can help promote focus and foster productivity. Adding to the initial to-do list throughout the day can help you keep a clear idea of your goals.
• ORGANIZE AND KEEP YOUR WORKSPACE CLEAN - Take a few minutes at the end of each day to clean your desk, removing anything that you won't absolutely need. Get rid of any trash and place pens in a drawer or organizer and stack papers so they look tidier. You can even fill up your water bottle so you don't have to worry about it in the morning.
• KEEP WITH THE SCHEDULE - Some people work best when they wake up early, while others find success working at night. Determine the time of day when you feel you're at your best and try to get most of your work done during those hours.
• SCHEDULE BREAKS - Taking 10-15 minutes every couple of hours to stretch your body and focus on something other than work can help keep you energized and excited about your job. Find a way to eat meals somewhere other than your desk to give yourself a mental break from work when possible.
• REDUCE MULTITASKING - Multitasking may sound like the perfect way to get many things done at once, but unfortunately, this not true in many situations. You may even find that multitasking can actually take longer than completing tasks individually. Some multitasking is an inevitable part of daily work, but the good news is you can avoid having to multitask more than is necessary by staying organized.
• MINIMIZE DISTRACTIONS - Another helpful strategy for organizing your workday is addressing and minimizing distractions. Emails, texts and phone calls are a few common reasons behind distraction. Fortunately, there are things you can do to address these distractions.
• AUTOMATE YOUR WORK WHERE YOU CAN - Perhaps you send similar versions of the same email to multiple people, or you're often distracted by someone who needs your signature. With the help of technology, you can automate tasks like these to maximize your time and decrease distractions.
• TACKLE TASKS IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE - Instead of starting your day with smaller tasks like answering emails, begin by addressing your largest or most stress-inducing task. This might take the largest amount of time in your day, but it ultimately will help your workflows move faster. Completing the largest jobs first can keep you motivated to finish the smaller tasks on your to-do list quickly without using up all your energy.
• ORGANIZE YOUR WORKDAY BY TIME - This is an especially helpful tactic if there are several meetings interspersed throughout your workday. Scheduling your tasks by the hour can help your day feel more predictable. It can also improve your productivity by serving as a reminder of your current task whenever you get distracted.
• SET GOALS & REWARD YOURSELF - Setting goals can help you become better at your job through motivation. You can set goals for staying organized, like challenging yourself to make a to-do list every day. Or, you can set professional goals that can help you stay engaged at your job.
• SCHEDULE YOUR DAYS IN BATCHES OF WORK - Some people find success with organizing not just their workday, but their workweek. If your job is a mix of phone calls and administrative work, for instance, perhaps you could attend to phone calls Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and spend Tuesdays and Thursdays on administrative tasks.
• IDENTIFY STRESSORS - Many people's tendency to procrastinate stems from stressors such as self-doubt, perfectionism or fear of criticism. Maybe you're worried about negative feedback on that recurring task, or you're concerned you won't be able to make that big deadline. Identifying what's stressing you out can help you find solutions to reduce this stress and make the harder tasks easier to complete.
• MAKE A WEEKLY/MONTHLY PLAN - A daily to-do list can work wonders for completing day-to-day tasks, but it can also be helpful to make a larger list at the beginning of each week or month to structure your time to meet your goals.
• USE YOUR CURRENT WORKFLOWS TO PROMOTE ORGANIZATION - Your workplace may already have workflows or tools in place to help you stay organized at work. Many email applications include a calendar component you can use to schedule your time. Some chat applications have built-in reminder features that can keep you on task. You can ask coworkers or managers how they organize their work and incorporate their advice into your own organizational habits.
• INTRODUCE BALANCE TO YOUR SCHEDULE - One key to staying organized long term is trying to achieve balance. Many people who attempt to implement organizational habits into their professional lives experience burnout when they sacrifice their work-life balance for short-term productivity. A lack of balance can cause you to forget or neglect your organizational habits. The good news is you can always use any of these strategies to renew your organizational skills at work.
Best of luck to you!
Sheila recommends the following next steps:
Updated
Aditya Narain’s Answer
You can manage your time by easily following the simple tricks -
Keep a small dairy and write down on it where you are spending how much time. Analyze it on every night you will get answer from where you can get more time.
Try to delegate things which you feel are not fruitful for your growth. We shall not work on everything, we shall work for what matters to us.
Also learn to say "No", helping always is good but your goals shall be of more priority.
Keep a small dairy and write down on it where you are spending how much time. Analyze it on every night you will get answer from where you can get more time.
Try to delegate things which you feel are not fruitful for your growth. We shall not work on everything, we shall work for what matters to us.
Also learn to say "No", helping always is good but your goals shall be of more priority.
Updated
Sarah M.’s Answer
With two degrees and lots of other tertiary study completed, a lot of it extramural or at a distance while I was also working, I have a lot of experience with good time management, and bad! It's often easier in a school environment, but when you're working at it alone and remotely, or in your own time, it can be tricky.
My best tips would be to really understand what your end result will be, and have an idea of how long it will take to achieve, to a level that you are satisfied with - whether that is the work required to get a particular grade, or satisfy your interest in a subject, or move you to the next step of the learning or plan.
Thinking about assignments, or work that is completed over a period of time by a deadline (as opposed to an exam), my general approach would be to find out what the objectives of the assignment are, understand the marking criteria for each objective, and determine how much time you should spend on each of those elements, relative to each other. Figure out what information or knowledge you need to answer each question, for example, and have an idea about how long that will take. Once you know how much time you need to spend, then you manage it.
As much as it can be exhilarating to work on things last minute, try to allocate the time for the items at a pace over days or weeks you have until the deadline, with a buffer for at the end, should you need more than you expected. Try not to think that you will do all the work as close to possible as the deadline, and spread it out at a pace that is as reasonable as possible - especially if it's a topic that you're not super passionate about!
I map these items out in a planner, either paper or like Tasks in Microsoft, with start the parts I will do under each step as a separate goal towards the end state, with a planned start and end date/time. I'll then mark them off as a I achieve my goals - both for a feeling of progress and accomplishment, and to see what I still have to do, and decide if I have enough time or need to commit more.
In some cases, if might make sense to do the minimum amount of work for each subtask (enough to pass, say), for each of the steps, and then come back to spend more time on each question to go for higher marks. It can often be better to answer something for all questions rather than have an amazing answer for one but run out of time for others. It will come down to understanding the objectives and the marking criteria.
If you have multiple assignments, you might decide whether you are best to work on them bit by bit at the same time, or block them out to in chunks related to each other. If one assignment is work 10% and the other 50% of a final grade, that will guide you on how to prioritise the work, and how much time to spend, similar to if different questions were weighted like that.
For exams, but approach is pretty similar - understand what is being tested, and your current level of knowledge in those areas, and then you can decide how much time to cover those topics, practice writing answers, or doing sample exams, and then plan out when you can do that.
Remember to leave time for sleep, and know that you will need to take breaks! You will find the ways that work best for you. If things don't go well with your plan, try and figure out what you could do differently next time.
Good luck - and hard work! :-)
My best tips would be to really understand what your end result will be, and have an idea of how long it will take to achieve, to a level that you are satisfied with - whether that is the work required to get a particular grade, or satisfy your interest in a subject, or move you to the next step of the learning or plan.
Thinking about assignments, or work that is completed over a period of time by a deadline (as opposed to an exam), my general approach would be to find out what the objectives of the assignment are, understand the marking criteria for each objective, and determine how much time you should spend on each of those elements, relative to each other. Figure out what information or knowledge you need to answer each question, for example, and have an idea about how long that will take. Once you know how much time you need to spend, then you manage it.
As much as it can be exhilarating to work on things last minute, try to allocate the time for the items at a pace over days or weeks you have until the deadline, with a buffer for at the end, should you need more than you expected. Try not to think that you will do all the work as close to possible as the deadline, and spread it out at a pace that is as reasonable as possible - especially if it's a topic that you're not super passionate about!
I map these items out in a planner, either paper or like Tasks in Microsoft, with start the parts I will do under each step as a separate goal towards the end state, with a planned start and end date/time. I'll then mark them off as a I achieve my goals - both for a feeling of progress and accomplishment, and to see what I still have to do, and decide if I have enough time or need to commit more.
In some cases, if might make sense to do the minimum amount of work for each subtask (enough to pass, say), for each of the steps, and then come back to spend more time on each question to go for higher marks. It can often be better to answer something for all questions rather than have an amazing answer for one but run out of time for others. It will come down to understanding the objectives and the marking criteria.
If you have multiple assignments, you might decide whether you are best to work on them bit by bit at the same time, or block them out to in chunks related to each other. If one assignment is work 10% and the other 50% of a final grade, that will guide you on how to prioritise the work, and how much time to spend, similar to if different questions were weighted like that.
For exams, but approach is pretty similar - understand what is being tested, and your current level of knowledge in those areas, and then you can decide how much time to cover those topics, practice writing answers, or doing sample exams, and then plan out when you can do that.
Remember to leave time for sleep, and know that you will need to take breaks! You will find the ways that work best for you. If things don't go well with your plan, try and figure out what you could do differently next time.
Good luck - and hard work! :-)
Updated
Paras’s Answer
Hi Oscar! Time management is definitely an important thing to keep in mind and I’d say it’s important to note that everyone works differently, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. However, I do think there are a lot of resources out there that discuss some things that have worked well for others. Personally, I came across a few tips that I found very beneficial in the real world:
1 - Figure out how you’re currently spending your time. Before changing any of your habits it’s always best to note what you currently are doing and where you think you may be able to improve.
2 - Create a list of items you’d like to get done (like a to do list) and prioritize these items based on importance and urgency. For items that are not important and not urgent, consider removing these items from your to do list. For items that are not important but are urgent, consider if you yourself need to be doing it. This listing can help you better manage your personal time.
3 - Group similar tasks together and avoid trying to multitask. Often attempting to multitask can lead to wasting more time than you expect, or it may hurt the quality of your end product depending on the task at hand.
4 - One of the most important things I’ve seen while working is the importance of staying organized. Staying organized will help you stay focused and can really help you not feel overwhelmed. It will also help you keep track of what things you need to get done and when you need to say no.
Hope these small tips are helpful! I’d encourage you to try different things out and see what works best for you in order to best manage your time.
1 - Figure out how you’re currently spending your time. Before changing any of your habits it’s always best to note what you currently are doing and where you think you may be able to improve.
2 - Create a list of items you’d like to get done (like a to do list) and prioritize these items based on importance and urgency. For items that are not important and not urgent, consider removing these items from your to do list. For items that are not important but are urgent, consider if you yourself need to be doing it. This listing can help you better manage your personal time.
3 - Group similar tasks together and avoid trying to multitask. Often attempting to multitask can lead to wasting more time than you expect, or it may hurt the quality of your end product depending on the task at hand.
4 - One of the most important things I’ve seen while working is the importance of staying organized. Staying organized will help you stay focused and can really help you not feel overwhelmed. It will also help you keep track of what things you need to get done and when you need to say no.
Hope these small tips are helpful! I’d encourage you to try different things out and see what works best for you in order to best manage your time.
Updated
Ansh’s Answer
Honestly, there's various 'right' answers to this, and at the end of the day it's more about what can help you out. Personally, I write all of my tasks down and rank them in importance to do, as well as adding any time based commitment to my calendar so my phone can remind me. If things feel overwhelming or that you feel you have too much to do, I would recommend writing down every single thing you have to do, important or not, or even if not due immediately. Once you do so, I would categorize importance by seeing how soon it's due, how important it is, collaboration needed. Ranking the tasks can help you to focus on what to do at what time a lot, so definitely helps a lot :)
Updated
Elizabeth’s Answer
Time management is a big question, and it can carry different meanings for everyone. For me, I set my goals for each day professionally, creating list of items I need to get done, and crossing them off to feel accomplished. A few tips to help you manage your time better is:
Organize yourself, and pay attention to the details
Plan Ahead and set your goals for the day/week
Prioritize them wisely
Set time frames to each task/activity
Try to finish one item at a time, so you can cross things off you list and feel productive
Work Smarter, Not Harder
Organize yourself, and pay attention to the details
Plan Ahead and set your goals for the day/week
Prioritize them wisely
Set time frames to each task/activity
Try to finish one item at a time, so you can cross things off you list and feel productive
Work Smarter, Not Harder
Updated
Soumen’s Answer
I would suggest you to read this book called "Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time" by Brian Tracy and try to follow it as much as possible. Remember it's a journey and enjoy this journey, don't worry about the destination.
Updated
David’s Answer
What works best ofr you in terms of time management is tightly linked to how your brain works. From my perspective the foundations of time management are being organized and don't ever ever procrastinate.
Being organized is essential for knowing where to find what you need and to prioritize what needs to get done first, second, etc.
Procrastination is corrosive to an ability to succeed whether it is in school or work. If you are organized and avoid procrastination, you an get done what needs to be done when it needs to be done and still enjoy life.
There are lots of online tools to help with organization and procrastination avoidance.
Being organized is essential for knowing where to find what you need and to prioritize what needs to get done first, second, etc.
Procrastination is corrosive to an ability to succeed whether it is in school or work. If you are organized and avoid procrastination, you an get done what needs to be done when it needs to be done and still enjoy life.
There are lots of online tools to help with organization and procrastination avoidance.
Updated
Prettina’s Answer
Time management is the key for anyone in any field irrespective of what role one plays.
I would say time management is directly proportional to prioritizing tasks/activities
So try to maintain a to-do list on a daily basis
Mark urgent , important, can wait against each item in the to-do list and allocate time for each item
Work on the items that are urgent, then move to important.
If you fail to stick to the estimated time you allocated, its ok....but keep practicing. They keep is to prioritize and work.
I would say time management is directly proportional to prioritizing tasks/activities
So try to maintain a to-do list on a daily basis
Mark urgent , important, can wait against each item in the to-do list and allocate time for each item
Work on the items that are urgent, then move to important.
If you fail to stick to the estimated time you allocated, its ok....but keep practicing. They keep is to prioritize and work.
Updated
Yumi’s Answer
Hi Oscar,
Just to share what I do for time management, I use electronic calendar to list what I need to do so that I have an entire view and easy to shift around the tasks. Also, when you manage time, it is a good idea to think what is important, not important, urgent, nd not urgent. Then organize items in the order of a) urgent & important, b) important but not urgent, c) urgent but not important and d) not urgent nor important. Hope this helps.
Just to share what I do for time management, I use electronic calendar to list what I need to do so that I have an entire view and easy to shift around the tasks. Also, when you manage time, it is a good idea to think what is important, not important, urgent, nd not urgent. Then organize items in the order of a) urgent & important, b) important but not urgent, c) urgent but not important and d) not urgent nor important. Hope this helps.
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