Time Management
Gen/200 Foundations for general education and professional success.
3/15/2010
University Of Phoenix
Instructor Name:

One of the most difficult tasks that student face, that is often underestimated is time management. Time management is probably one of the most cherished skills we can have and something a student needs to maximize in order to be successful in their studies. Time is something that is always against students no matter what they do. Learning the skills to prioritize what is important and needed is valuable to a student’s success. As a college student, you are required to think in greater depth and complexity than ever before (Carter, Bishop, Kravits, 2007, p. 76). The first thing needed to do in order to mange your time appropriately is to break down the average day of a full time working student. This may include but not limited to work, school, relaxation, gym, family time, and unforeseen situations that may arise. It is always better to be over prepared than under prepared. As for most working students breaking down the average workday may help analyze and clarify the priorities in a given day. For most work may be the first priority and take up most of the day. The workday can range from eight to 12 hours a day. The second priority may be School and the time needed in order to receive a good grade and achieving their long-term goals. Relaxation is another priority needed when breaking down the time spent in an average day. In the break down of the average day it may be wise to allow time for those unforeseen situations. After breaking down the workday it is necessary to come up with a well organized plan in order to maximize your time. Taking the time to research your schedule and come up with a technique to maximize your time is the first step in properly managing your time. In this case we have broken down the average workday for a working student. Work will take up most of the day but there are breaks in that bulk of time that can be used to maximize the day. For example a lunch break can be use for your gym time to get some stress out and be more active when coming back to work. Prioritization is the essential skill you need in order to make the very best of your time and efforts. The best way to prioritize and approach this is by breaking your priority’s down by value and time restraints. One you have the priority down you can look at your goals, long term and short term. Once this is accomplished you can set up an effective schedule you can realistically achieve and minimize your stress. In doing these few simple steps you can make your time more efficient and organized, making it less stressful in the end. As recognized time management is one of the most important task students take on. Everyone has to deal with it and how you deal with it is even more important. In researching this subject it can be seen that proper organization and prioritizing is the key to successful time management. Learning to use these tools and breaking down your day can help maximize your time and productivity in any situation. It can be seen that if there is no structure or plan to the day much time can be wasted making it an unproductive situation.

References
Carter, C., Bishop, J., & Kravits, S. (2007). Keys to college studying: Becoming an active thinker (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Mined tools Ltd, 1995-2010, retrieved from http://www.minedtools.com