Time Management Essays

Time management is defined as observing the amount of time you have and being able to prioritize this in order to get important activities completed. (Claessens, B.J., Van Eerde, W., & All. 2007)

I feel that many adult learners may find it very difficult to manage their time if completing a 3rd level course. They may have other commitments such as family, home and full-time employment which also take priority.

Having a good time management plan in place will help make, not only college study and assignments a lot more manageable but also prepare us for better time management skills in the future from both a professional and personal approach.

The author attending third-level education found it difficult to organize college study and assignments with everything else he is committed to personally. While in college the author gained some very valuable time management skills which were then used in his day-to-day life i.e. picking off quick and easy tasks such as researching the references ahead of writing the time management assignment which lead to better productivity and helped with focus.

By drawing up a schedule, Short-Range Planner as it runs on a short term i.e. weekly. (Britton, B.K. and Tesser, A., 1991)The author learned to adjust his time with both college and personal life in general. The author’s time plan made sure that the important areas while attending college were given priority.

(Macan, T.H., Shahani, C., & all., 1990) “Many college students may find the academic experience very stressful. One potential coping strategy frequently offered by colleges is counseling services in time management”. With time management for the adult learner, it is often found to be far from straightforward and the biggest issue as students, we don’t know how to manage our time. What happens? Everything accumulates and panic and stress appear.

The Pros of time management far outweigh the cons;

Pros

• Ready for the real world
• Low stress
• More productivity
• Free time
• Lesser work
• Time to do other things
• Help to focus more
• Lesser rework
• Lower effort
• Gain a reputation
• Work faster and smarter
• Jobs done properly

Cons

• No organization
• Don’t communicate
• No clear plan or vision
• Distractions
• Lower energy
• Not prioritizing work
• Doing too much at once
• No breaks in between
• Not having a do list i.e. what’s next
• Saying no

By having a good time management plan in place things run better. Stress is better managed as you know exactly what task you are doing and what is next. There is a good workflow/balance and you accomplish things in a shorter period of time. A good plan is where we would plan week by week initially and then a wider plan to cover the entire semester. This helps you become more aware of what tasks require priority and eliminates any unnecessary stress. Use the diagram below called the 4 D’s of time management. (Covey, D., 2016)

The good thing is once we make a plan for time management, you can change it to suit your needs as often as it’s required. The threat of not managing your time sufficiently is the risk you run of failing.

Follow the 4 Ds:

• Do it: urgent attention needed
• Delegate it: not too urgent doesn’t need too much attention
• Defer it: we can leave it sitting for a period but not to forget about
• Dump it: we can leave to nearly the end not important to get done

Advantages

By having a good time management plan life becomes a lot easier for the adult learner. There is more free time leading to a better life balance thus reducing stress and allowing the adult learner to focus when he has to complete assignments and do it right the first time.

Smartphone apps called Rescue time and Toggl track everything weekly, the adult learner can access a report to see what’s happening and where. They can also change things around if needed. It is advisable for adults to do tasks in the morning as they will have more energy to complete tasks which will motivate them for the day. ( and Bakker, A.B., ten Brummelhuis, L.L. 2012)

Disadvantages

Not having a time management plan the adult learner will find their notes and organization of the course content is not clear, concise or together. The adult learner’s notes will be untidy and when it comes to exam time, their lecture notes will take a lot of unnecessary time to fix or not be readily available to hand during the study.

There are unnecessary distractions like TV’s and Mobile phone apps. The adult learner can use the planner to set aside certain times to use their phones during personal spare time. This would be an example of not important and not urgent.

Poor organization or not time management will lead to stress, which leads to sleepless nights and having very low energy making course work unachievable or the adult learner fall behind or quit the course,

Conclusion

In conclusion, time management can lead to a lot of positives in adult leaner while in college but also in their own lives. It sets them up for when they are in the working environment so they can cope which difficult tasks. Having a good time management plan in place things run smoother and stress in managing a lot better. Doing a ‘to-do list’ before bed with 3/4 important things helps the adult leaner be organized. Doing tasks in the morning will benefit the adult learner as they have more energy, therefore, motivating them for the day. Always take a little bit of time to reflect on how your week is going and what/if any correction is required. It’s always good to change schedules if things not working i.e. sleep, exercise, and socializing.

Using Smartphone apps called Rescue time and Toggl track everything weekly. There is a report every week, so the adult learner can track what’s happening and where, and make significant changes if needed.

Having a good time management plan in place not only helps the adult learner to complete assignments and college study. This will also prepare the adult learner with better time management skills in the future from both a professional and personal approach. A good plan is where we would plan week by week initially and then a wider plan to cover the entire semester. The 4 D’s of time management is a great tool for the adult learner it can identify what is urgent and needs doing straight away. Time management is useful so that the adult learner can be more organized and less stressed.

References

1. Macan, T.H., Shahani, C., Dipboye, R.L. and Phillips, A.P., 1990. College students’ time management: Correlations with academic performance and stress. Journal of educational psychology, 82(4), p.760.
2. Claessens, B.J., Van Eerde, W., Rutte, C.G. and Roe, R.A., 2007. A review of the time management literature. Personnel review, 36(2), pp.255-276.
3. Britton, B.K. and Tesser, A., 1991. Effects of time-management practices on college grades. Journal of educational psychology, 83(3), p.407.
4. Covey, D., 2016. Stephen, R.’. Covey. Retrieved November, 4, p.2016.
5. Ten Brummelhuis, L.L. and Bakker, A.B., 2012. Staying engaged during the week: The effect of off-job activities on next day work engagement. Journal of occupational health psychology, 17(4), p.445.