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YOUR WEEK AT A GLANCE

Two important  keys to success for many students are the abilities to build a good plan for the use of their time, and then a commitment to follow  that plan.  You can print the Time Management Chart that follows, and fill in the hours of the week to reflect your plan for spending that valuable commodity called time. Put in the codes listed below to get your plan off to a good start. Start with your work hours, placing a "W" in the boxes or writing in "Work " and crossing out all the hours involving that activity. Then go to your class hours (C),  study time (S), leisure/living time (L), sleep time (Z), and travel time (T). Remember to allow 2 hours of study for every hour you are in the classroom.

General Time Management Tips

When we say we don't have enough time,  we may mean that we aren't spending the time we do have in the way that we want to. Now that you have plotted out how you spend your time on the Time Management Chart above, you can take control of your time by being more aware of where it goes during your day.  Here are tips to help you be more in control.

• Determine when you feel the most energy and schedule classes and study during these times.

• Schedule 2 classes on Monday and Wednesday, and 2 classes on Tuesday and Thursday with time in between. 

• Use "in between time" productively. Between classes rewrite your notes or review notes for the next class. During travel time study on the bus or listen to tapes of lecture/notes in your car on the way to and from campus.

• Rewrite notes the same day - as soon as you can after class is over. By this review you develop long term memory.

• Focus on the present moment when is class. Stay tuned and catch yourself if your mind begins to wander. Remember that we can process words faster then the instructor can talk and so we drift off  or get distracted from the here and now.

• Post a big calendar on your wall at home so you have visual reminders of projects and due dates for assignments.

• If  you are a fulltime student, you have the equivalent of a fulltime job. So  try to work only 16 to 20 hours per week.

• Recent studies point out that college students often suffer from sleep deprivation, so schedule 8 hours of sleep a night.

• Reward yourself for good time managing with the gift of time for living and leisure.

If you want to know more about Time Management, consider taking  TRS 105, College Success Strategies course, visit the Learning Center and tutors, or come talk to a counselor in the Counseling Office.

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Kalamazoo Valley Community College
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