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We have looked at Time Management before (Calendar blocking using Google Calendar),
but it's such an important topic that we thought he'd do a little more with it.
Remember Time Blocking is setting aside times in your calendar to do individual tasks.
When you create a block, the time is there for you to work on whatever it is.
In Time Blocking, "Work on Essay #1" implies that you will be working on your essay from 2 - 4. After 4 o'clock, you may be done with the essay or maybe not. You've set aside the time, but you don't have any goal associated with it.
There is an adage called Parkinson's Law, which states: “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” This is a fancy way of saying that if you have a week to accomplish a task, it will take you the whole week to do it. This leads to people sabotaging themselves by not working efficiently and wasting time, or trying to unnecessarily perfect things because there is no sense of urgency.
If this is you, you may want to consider Time Boxing. It is more about setting goals for your work. It involves determining how long you will dedicate to a task and adding time boxes to your calendar to complete it. For example, you might decide that you will work six hours on essay #1 and the block "working on essay #1" could be one of three 2 hour blocks. At the end of the first one, you want to have a complete outline of the essay. You have a rough draft after the second one, and the essay should be done after the third one for you to remain on schedule.
This is also good if you are a perfectionist. Finishing at the end of the the time box means you can't keep wasting time on it.
Another time management strategy is to use Task Batching. This is when you create a block or box for several tasks that are related. For example, you could have a block for "social media". In this block, you would accomplish a variety of tasks that deal with the different platforms that you use. Tasks that are similar don't require you to mentally shift gears, so you can be more productive than setting aside individual times for each.
Prioritizing your Work: The Eisenhower Matrix
Prioritizing your Work: The Eisenhower Matrix
If you don't seem to have enough time in your schedule to fit everything, you need to decide which things are TOO IMPORTANT to not do.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower was the 5-star general in charge of American operations in Europe during WWII. He created a system of putting tasks into categories, so that they could be handled effectively. The Eisenhower Matrix can help you prioritize your tasks depending on whether they are important or not or whether they need to be handled urgently or not.
Procrastination (Read this later)
Procrastination (Read this later)
You have probably procrastinated on a school project at some point. Some people are better at it than others. Some choose to do things that reward them now instead of later (present bias). Some people have a fear of failure, so they put off starting the task. Others have self-doubt and try putting off the inevitable... proving that they don't have any idea how complete the task.
from xkcd
Whatever the reason, procrastination will derail your academic train.
Next time procrastination is upon you, consider these remedies:
Focus on what's important - If it's important, get it done.
Don't allow for drama - Some people love making their lives stressful so they can complain about it. They will smugly tell you that, "they love working under pressure" until things go wrong.
Set realistic goals - Know what you can do and plan accordingly.
Break tasks into smaller parts - If the whole project is too much, consider doing it in several smaller chunks.
Don't Make Excuses - Yes, they are lame, and nobody's buying it.
Optimize your environment - No need for phones, Google, or social media. Try to work somewhere that isn't full of distractions (like your bedroom).
Reward Yourself - Something to eat, some screen time, or game time, let you know how proud you are of yourself.
Don't be perfect - If time is of the essence, then git er done and don't worry about the finer touches.
Just like you did as a junior, use Google Calendar to block your tasks for one week.
Post a screenshot of your Google Calendar here.
The pomodoro technique was created by Francesco Cirillo as a way to be more productive when trying to accomplish tasks.
Watch the video to see how it is done.
Now do it yourself
Now do it yourself
You will need:
a timer*
a pencil and paper
Decide on the task or tasks to be done.
Set your timer for 25 minutes and work until the timer goes off.
Make a mark on the piece of paper, then take a break for 5 minutes.
Go back to step 2 and repeat until you have 4 marks on your paper.
After 4 work intervals, take a longer, 20 - 30 minute break.
If you are not done with your task(s), go back to step 2.
Pick a sizable task or a set of smaller ones. Use the pomodoro technique to manage your time and help you focus while you attempt to complete them.
Reflect upon your experience and sum up your thoughts in the
Google Classroom reflection assignment.
BTW,
BTW,
Here are some more tips to help you with time management as it pertains to studying.
edited 11/6/23
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