Effective

Time Management
Balancing Time
&
Commitments
Learning Assistance Center
120 University Pavilion
513-556-3244
 Tips for Effective Time Management
Spend time in Planning and Organizing:
• Think and Plan
• Organize in a way that makes sense to you
Set Goals:
• Decide what you want to do
• Take a “SMART” approach
• Goals give you required direction
Prioritize:
• Prioritize and identify what you value
• Flagging/Highlighting can be very helpful
• Once prioritize, concentrate on those that
would add value
Use a to do list:
• Find out what is urgent and important
• Put them in order of preferences
• One completed delete them from your list
Be Flexible:
• Allow time of interruptions and distractions
• Save larger block of time for priorities
• Ask yourself questions and get back to
your goal
Consider your Biological Time:
• Find out which is the best time for
you study
• Are you a morning person?
• A night owl?
• Late Afternoon?
Do Right Things Right:
• Doing things right is Effectiveness
• Doing things right is Efficiency
• Focus first for Effectiveness
• Concentrate on Efficiency
Eliminate the Urgent:
• Urgent tasks have short term
Consequences
• Important tasks are long term and
goal related
• Flagging and or highlighting items are
important
• Attach deadline to each of the items
Conquer Procrastination:
• Learn to say “NO”
• Reward Yourself
 Time Management
Steven R. Covey’s “Time Management Matrix”
• Urgent: An activity that you or others feel requires immediate attention.
• Important: An activity that you find valuable and that contributes to your mission, values,
and high-priority goals.

Urgent Not
THE PROCRASTINATOR THE PRIORITIZER
Urgent
• Study for tomorrow’s exam. • Go on a date with a friend
Import

• Pay overdue cell-phone bill • Work on an essay due in 30 days

• Work on project due today. • Call home
ant

• Visit a roommate or family member who • Visit with academic advisor

has been in an accident.
THE YES MAN THE SLACKER
Importan

• Engage in idle conversations. • Engage in too much TV, web surfing, or

• Respond to all instant messages. video games.
• Respond to all phone calls. • Engage in time wasters.
Not

• Spend time on trivial questions. • Become absorbed in escape activities.

t

• Procrastinate.
 Personal Survey
To begin managing your time you
first need an idea on how you now
use your time. The personal time
survey will help you to estimate
how much time you currently
spend in typical activities. To get a
more accurate estimate, you may
keep track on how you spend your
time during a week. This will help
you get a better idea of how much
time you need to prepare for each
subject. It will also help you
identify your time wasters. But for
now complete the Personal Time
Survey to get an estimate.
The following time survey shows
the amount of time you spend in
various activities. When taking the
survey, estimate the amount of
time spent on each item. Once you
have this amount, multiply it by
seven. This will give you the total
amount of time spent on each
activity during the week. After
each item’s weekly time has been
calculated, add all this time for the
grand total.
Subtract this from 168, the total
possible hours per week.
 Survey
1.Number of hours if sleep each night ___x 7=____
2. Number of grooming hours per day ___x 7=____
3. Number or hours per meal/Snack ___x 7= ____
(Include preparation time)
Now ADD UP the Totals:
4.A Total travel time week days ___x 5=____ ______
4.B Total travel time weekends ____
5. Number of hours during the week for
regularly scheduled functions (clubs, Church,
Subtract the above
get-togethers, etc)
6. Number of hours of work per week
____
____
number from 168
7. Number of hours of class per week
8. Number of hours per day for chores,
____
-______= _____
errands, extra grooming, etc. ___x 7= ____
9.Number of hours per week socializing,
dates, etc. BE HONEST!! ____
The remaining
hours( number inside
the block) are the
hours you allowed
your self to study
 Study Hour Formula
To determine how many hours you need to study every week to get A’s, use
the following rule. Study two hours per hour in class for an essay class, three
hours per hour in class for an average class and four hours for an hour in class
for a difficult class. For example basket weaving 101 is a relative easy 3 hours
course. Usually, a person would not do more than 6 hours of work outside of
class per week. Advance calculus is usually considered a difficult course, so it
may be best to study the proposed 12 hours a week. If more hours are
needed, take away hours from easier courses.

Easy class credit hours ________x 2 = ______

Average class credit hours ________x 3 = ______
Difficult class credit hours ________x 4 = ______
Total _________

Compare this number to your time left from the survey. Now is the time when
many student might find themselves a bit stressed. Just a note to ease your
anxieties. It is not the quantity of study time but also the quality. This formula
is a general guide line. Try it for a week, and make adjustments as needed.
 Completing the Daily, Weekly, and
Quarterly Time Management Grids
Weekly Time Management Grid: Quarterly Time Management Grid:
1. Current class schedule. Write the name of 1. Date each box. Write the actual date for
the class on the day it occurs, please the current quarter in the upper right
include any lab times.
hand corner of each box.
2. Current work schedule. Include any
weekend hours, and also give a copy of 2. Holidays. Use a highlighter to mark the
your schedule to your employer, noting university wide recognized holidays.
exam days so you can get off work and 3. Due dates of assignments. Using your
have adequate study time. syllabi for each class, write in the dates in
3. Write the times you eat breakfast, lunch which every assignment is due. This also
and dinner. includes any tests and quizzes, as well
4. Actual study times. Identify routing
homework and study days. Make sure this as final exams.
is the best time for you to study. Be sure 4. Lastly, color code each class with the
to include regular breaks. corresponding assignment.
5. Schedule social time. All work and no play 5. Work backwards from exams and papers to
can make college life pretty boring. While map out study/writing time.
it is important that you schedule time to
study and complete your assignments, it
is equally important to have a balance of
activities that are fun! (Church, Club,
Organization meetings, leisure activities,
etc.)
 Completing the Daily, Weekly, and
Quarterly Time Management Grids
Daily Time Management Grid & Things
to Do List:
1. Current Day. There is a grid for each day of
the week. Write the actual day.
2. Plan. What are you planning on doing
today? Write it down. This is the same
information from your weekly planning grid.
3. Monitor. What did you actually did in those
hours? Record and track!
4. Prioritize. On the reverse side is a “things
to do list.” You should record everything
else you need to do on this day, (phone
calls, checking mailbox, going to the bank,
meeting with a friend or professor). Decide
what items is high,
medium, or low priority
Other important tips:
• Remember that fall quarter
usually has an additional week.
This means you will have to write
another line for the 11th week.
• Add special notes for each
weekend’s tasks and study
times.
• Consider enlarging this grid or
using a large 3 month calendar
to fully track your assignments.
• Remember your schedule will
change during finals week. That’s
why it is important to include this
information with item #3 above.
 Weekly Time Management Grid
Time Monday Tuesday Wednesda Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
y
6:00
7:00
8:00
9:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
1:00
2:00
3:00
4:00
5:00
6:00
7:00
8:00
9:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
 Quarterly Planning Grid
Date Week Monday Tuesday Wednesda Thursda Friday Saturday Sunday
y y

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th

9th

10th

Finals
 Daily Time Management
Things to do list
Date: Monday __/__/__ Date: Tuesday __/__/__
1.________________________________
1.________________________________
Priority
Priority □High □Medium □Low
□High □Medium □Low 2.________________________________
2.________________________________ Priority
□High □Medium □Low
Priority
3.________________________________
□High □Medium □Low Priority
3.________________________________ □High □Medium □Low
Priority 4.________________________________
Priority
□High □Medium □Low
□High □Medium □Low
4.________________________________ 5.________________________________
Priority Priority
□High □Medium □Low □High □Medium □Low
6.________________________________
5.________________________________
Priority
Priority □High □Medium □Low
□High □Medium □Low
6.________________________________
Priority
□High □Medium □Low
 Daily Time Management
Things to do list
Date: Wednesday __/__/__ Date: Thursday __/__/__
1.________________________________ 1.________________________________
Priority Priority
□High □Medium □Low □High □Medium □Low
2.________________________________ 2.________________________________
Priority Priority
□High □Medium □Low □High □Medium □Low
3.________________________________ 3.________________________________
Priority Priority
□High □Medium □Low □High □Medium □Low
4.________________________________ 4.________________________________
Priority Priority
□High □Medium □Low □High □Medium □Low
5.________________________________ 5.________________________________
Priority Priority
□High □Medium □Low □High □Medium □Low
6.________________________________ 6.________________________________
Priority Priority
□High □Medium □Low □High □Medium □Low
 Daily Time Management
Things to do list
Date: Friday __/__/__ Date: Saturday __/__/__
1.________________________________ 1.________________________________
Priority Priority
□High □Medium □Low □High □Medium □Low
2.________________________________ 2.________________________________
Priority Priority
□High □Medium □Low □High □Medium □Low
3.________________________________ 3.________________________________
Priority Priority
□High □Medium □Low □High □Medium □Low
4.________________________________ 4.________________________________
Priority Priority
□High □Medium □Low □High □Medium □Low
5.________________________________ 5.________________________________
Priority Priority
□High □Medium □Low □High □Medium □Low
6.________________________________ 6.________________________________
Priority Priority
□High □Medium □Low □High □Medium □Low
 Time Management Grid
Date: Day___/___/___
Plan Monitor
7:00 7:00 1:00 1:00

7:15 1:15

7:30 1:30

7:45 1:45

8:00 8:00 2:00 2:00

8:15 2:15

8:30 2:30

2:45
8:45
3:00 3:00
9:00 9:00
3:15
9:15
3:30
9:30
3:45
9:45
4:00 4:00
10:00 10:00
4:15
10:15
4:30
10:30
4:45
10:45
5:00 5:00
11:00 11:00
5:15
11:15
5:30
11:30 5:45
11:45 6:00 6:00
12:00 12:00 6:15
12:15 6:30

12:30 6:45

12:45 7:00 7:00