CHAPTER

1
Using time management to
improve study skills.

[Please insert any Time Management

relevant photo
around this box]
Subtopics:-
1.1 Definition of Time Management
1.2 Time Management Skills and Strategies
1.3 Importance of Time Management
1.4 Group vs Individual

1.1. Definition of Time Management

“Time management” is the process of organizing and planning how to divide your time between specific
activities. Good time management enables you to work smarter – not harder – so that you get more done
in less time, even when time is tight and pressures are high. Failing to manage your time damages your
effectiveness and causes stress. In short, time management refers to the way that you organize and plan
how long you spend on specific activities.

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 Table 1.1 Time Management Matrix

1.2 Time Management Skills and Strategies

1.2.1 Time Management Skills

a) Plan your time. A lot of students have other responsibilities outside of school, including jobs
and families. Be sure to set aside a few hours per day for schoolwork so that you don’t fall
behind in your classes. It is a good idea to keep a calendar for assignments and a daily “To Do”
list.
b) Create flash cards. These will allow you to review or study anywhere, at any time. Carry your
flash cards around and study between classes, while on the train or a bus, or at a friend’s house.
Making the flash cards will help reinforce information, and review will help you remember it.
This process will make studying for a test easier.
c) Keep on top of the work in progress. Be sure to do all assignments and readings when they are
given to you (and make up what you missed if you were away). Be prepared from the very first
day of class!
d) Beat procrastination. The key to controlling and ultimately combating this destructive habit is
to recognize when you start procrastinating, understand why it happens, and take active steps to
better manage your time and outcomes. Break the project into a set of smaller, more manageable
tasks. You may find it helpful to create an outline or a map like the one below.

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 e) Set goals. Decide what you want to achieve in your classes. Is a good grade important to you?
Do you want to improve certain skills? Make a plan to reach these goals. Setting deadlines and
reasonable tasks are good ideas.
f) Be realistic about the times you can study. Many college students study at night because that’s
the only time they could study while attending high school. However, college students have
chunks of non-class time during the day. If possible, retrain yourself to utilize this new time as
best as possible. Know yourself and the times you are most awake

1.2.2 Time Management Strategies

1. Identify Time-Wasters and Set Goals

It’s easy to get distracted. Pay attention to what draws your

focus away from your studies and assignments.

 Are you spending too much time checking social

media?
 Are you prone to texting and answering personal
phone calls while studying?
 Do you find that a lot of time has passed while you
aimlessly browse the web?

No matter what is wasting your time, set a goal to not engage

in that behavior during dedicated study time. Instead, use
those activities as a reward for staying focused and
accomplishing the tasks you set out to complete.

2. Plan Ahead by Creating a To-Do List

Identify what you need to do, and then prioritize the tasks
based on when the assignment is due and how much time you
need to complete it. This gives you a set plan for the day.
Whether it’s just a list of priorities or a full schedule for the
day, having a plan will ensure that you know what to do and
when.

Unless there’s a pressing priority, it’s important to also

consider what sort of work you’re in the mood to do.

 Do you feel creative? You may want to prioritize

working on a writing assignment.
 Do you feel focused? You could spend the day
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 studying for an upcoming exam.

3. Tackle Small Tasks to Start

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by large projects and big

exams, and the anxiety can make you want to procrastinate.
Start with shorter, simpler to-do items and then move on to
larger projects or assignments.

 What can you complete in the shortest time and has

the fewest dependencies?
 What needs more time or has more complicated
workflows?

4. Only Do One Thing at a Time

A University of London study showed that those who

multitask see a drop in their IQ similar to someone who
didn’t sleep the night before. If you’re trying to juggle
multiple assignments and tasks, you’ll likely end up being
less productive. To combat the urge to multitask, ask
yourself:
 What are your most common distractions? (Email,
social media, electronics, etc.)
 Can you turn off the devices or applications?

Turn off any devices that you can. And no matter what, don’t
switch to another task until the one before it is complete. This
may be a hard habit to break, but it’s worth it.

5. Establish Routines

A set routine can also help you accomplish the things you
need to do. Is your home quietest in the early morning? You
may want to get in the habit of regularly using that time to
study or read. The more often you do this, the less you’ll
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 have to think about when you’ll accomplish the tasks you
need to finish that day.

6. Use Breaks Wisely

The time between work, classes, activities, and meetings can

be used to complete tasks. People who use the Podomoro
Technique, developed in the 1990s, work in short intervals
and take short, regular, timed breaks or “Pomodoros." For
example, you might use a timer to work in 25-minute sprints,
broken up by 5-minute breaks away from your workspace.
Every fourth Pomodoro, take a longer break.

7. Take Time Off

It’s important to take time for yourself. Long study sessions

or chunks of time working on assignments should be broken
up with time away from screens or textbooks. You need to
give your mind a rest.

Many scholars have studied the effects of meditation on

reducing effects of stress-induced conditions such as back
pain, irritable bowel syndrome, and insomnia. 

8. Learn to Delegate

While your significant other, family members, or roommates

won’t be able to study for you, you can ask them to help out
more around the house while you continue your education.
Freeing up a little more time by having others help with
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 household chores and errands will ensure that you can stay
focused on your studies and coursework, or that you can take
a well-deserved break.

1.3 Importance of Time Management

a) Time is limited. No matter how you slice it, there are only 24 hours in a day. If you want to rise
through the ranks, you have to acknowledge the importance of finding a way to manage this
limited resource.
b) You can accomplish more with less effort. When you learn to take control of your time, you
improve your ability to focus. You’ll start to breeze through tasks more quickly.
c) Improved decision-making ability. Whether you rely on a time-chunking technique or discover
the power of list-making, you’ll soon find that a nice side benefit of good time management
skills is the ability to make better decisions. Through effective time management, you can
eliminate the pressure that comes from feeling like you don’t have enough time.

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 d) Become more successful in your career. Time management is the key to success. It allows you
to take control of your life rather than following the flow of others. As you accomplish more
each day, make more sound decisions, and feel more in control, people notice.
e) Learning opportunities are everywhere. Great learning opportunities are around you, if you’ve
got time to stop and take advantage them. When you work more efficiently, you have that time.
f) Reduce stress. When you don’t have control of your time, it’s easy to end up feeling rushed and
overwhelmed. Once you learn how to manage your time, you no longer subject yourself to that
level of stress.
g) Free time is necessary. Everyone needs time to relax and unwind. Unfortunately, though, many
of us don’t get enough of it. Between jobs, family responsibilities, errands, and upkeep on the
house and the yard, most of us are hard-pressed to find even 10 minutes to sit and do nothing.
Having good time management skills helps you find that time.
h) Self-discipline is valuable. When you practice good time management, you leave no room for
procrastination. The better you get at it, the more self-discipline you learn. This is a valuable
skill that will begin to impact other areas of your life where a lack of discipline has kept you
from achieving a goal.

1.3 Group vs Individual

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 Benefits of Studying Alone
I. Fewer distractions
II. Control over study environment
III. Control over study schedule

Benefits of Studying in a Group

I. Motivates to Study
II. Allow free discussion
III. Helps clarify any questions

It depends on the individual to decide to choose the study approach either

an individual study or a group study. You can study alone if the study
group is getting too talkative and the group members are talking off-topic.
Sometimes, the size of the study group can be incredibly difficult to
engage as time for all to gather and meet up may not convenient to
everyone. Therefore, you may choose to study alone with your prepared
schedule.

On the other hand, you can choose to study in a group if you’re an

auditory learner (hear and say things in order to learn concepts). Study
groups are a great environment to promote discussion and auditory
learning. Moreover, having other friends around who are motivated to
learn will help keep you attentive, engaged and on track.

Time Management Skills Quiz

1. Why do you want to better manage your time? What do you want to achieve? E.g. More time
with your family? More time for personal development? List down three reasons and rank them
in order of importance.
2. How much time you think you will need to make the changes?
3. What do you want your life to look like once you have incorporated all the changes into your
daily schedule? Visualize the perfect day.
4. Is there anything positive about your current schedule? What do you like about it?

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 5. What do you really hate about your current schedule?
6. What’s your biggest excuse for not starting to manage your time better?
7. What’s one thing you wish you had changed in your schedule a long time ago? What was the
biggest obstacle that held you back? Name one possible way to overcome it?

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