Managing your time: 50 tips in 50 minutes

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Managing your time 50 tips in 50 minutes

• JCU Counselling Service
• Felicity Gardiner
• December 2006

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Our goals for the session

• Identify what activities you spend time on
• Work out how much time you will have for uni
  commitments
• Learn how to prioritise your tasks
• Check that you have a balance between work and
  play
• Learn some tricks to stay motivated

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Why spend time on managing my time?

• Planning can
• Reduce our stress
• Remind us were making choices
• Help us prioritise our activities
• Measure our progress
• Create balance between work and play
• Help us stay motivated and healthy

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Am I looking after myself?

• Hows my general health?
• Hows my diet?
• Hows my sleep?
• What about exercise?
• Am I happy with my level of alcohol/drug use?
• Are people I choose to be with supportive of me?
• What do I do for fun?
• How do I unwind? Is it working?

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How much time do I have for Uni?

• Complete the Weekly Time Audit to get an idea of
  the time youll have available for study
• Use the Activity Log for a week to get a clear
  idea of how your time is being spent
• The Whats Important? Matrix will help you work
  out your priorities

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The Whats Important? Matrix
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To help manage my time

• Use the Study Period Planner to plan the
  semester. This will give you a clear idea of what
  you need to do and when
• Record all assessment dates
• Break assignments and exam preparation down into
  smaller tasks
• Schedule in all uni-related tasks

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To help manage my time

• Now complete the Weekly Activity Schedule use
  the information from your Audit and
  Matrixinclude all activities, not just study
• Consider your peak time/s for each activity
• Each subject 8-10 hours study per week
• Organise your time into 2-hour chunks

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To keep me motivated

• Identify activities (from Time Audit) that can be
  used as rewards for studying eg. lunch with
  friends, hobbies, fun stuff
• Set realistic deadlines
• Allow enough time for each activity
• Check theres a balance between work and play

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To keep me motivated

• Manage your study environment Remove
  distractors turn off the TV and phone, use the
  library, shut your door, sit at a desk
• Send clear messages to friends and family (eg
  please dont distract me, I am studying til 4pm)

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What if I cant get started?

• Worst first approach Tackle the worst bit first
  then the rest of the task wont seem so bad
• Break tasks down into mini-tasks
• Ten Minute plan Agree to do just 10 minutes
  work
• Set yourself a goal and reward
• Review your goals

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Resources

• Counselling, Careers and Employment (A1) books
  and CDs, counselling appointments
• Learning Centre Resources in Teaching and
  Learning Development _at_ www.jcu.edu.au/studyskills
• www.thehappinessinstitute.com
• http//www.beyondblue.org.au
• Centre for Clinical Interventions at
  http//www.cci.wa.health.gov.au
• http//www.moodgym.anu.edu.au
• www.reachout.com.au