Introduction to Time Management
The idea of time management might be new to you. Basically, time management strategies allow you to plan out your time so that you can get things done and have a more balanced, less stressful life. In this module, we’ll explore why you need time management techniques and how to figure out how much time you actually need to accomplish your tasks.
Top Tips
✓ Figure out how much time you need. Determine the time you need to complete tasks each week, including things like sleep and commuting; it’s probably more time than you think.
✓ Plan one "study" hour per class hour. To be successful, you should be doing about an hour of out-of-class work like studying, reading, and working on assignments for every hour you spend in class.
✓ Think ahead in the semester. You will probably have more assignments and tests later in the semester, so it’s good to plan ahead.
Below are two videos (The Learning Portal Ontario, 2020) that describe two types of typical college students: a recent high school graduate and a mature student. In addition, you can complete the Time Audit activity to assess your personal time needs.
How to Be Realistic About Your Time
Watch this video (The Learning Portal Ontario, 2020) or read the information below for some tips and tools to help you manage your time and bring some balance to your week.
Questions to assess your time needs
Effective time management means creating a balance that allows you to do the things you need to do without getting completely overwhelmed and stressed. This requires being realistic about how much time you need. Try asking yourself these questions:
How much time do I actually have?
How much time do I need for school work outside of class?
Check out this tipsheet for an illustration of how your workload will change throughout the semester.
Attribution
Unless otherwise stated, the material in this guide is from the Learning Portal created by College Libraries Ontario. Content has been adapted for the NWP Learning Commons in June 2021. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons BY NC SA 4.0 International License.
All icons on these pages are from The Noun Project. See individual icons for creator attribution.