Time Management Keysha Williams University of Phoenix Time Management Time Management is an issue one has in day-to-day life. Everyone struggles with time management, including adult students. For example, a goal of adult students might be to have all assignments completed by 12 a.m. Saturday and to submit and revise the assignments on Sunday, leaving Monday to start on new material for class. This process includes identifying what type of information that will be used, evaluating the information, and using that information to solve the problem. To develop successfully a time management plan, create a schedule. According to Carter, Bishop, and Kravis, “Schedules help you gain control of your life in two ways: They provide segments of time for tasks related to the fulfillment of your goals, and they remind you of tasks, events, due dates, responsibilities, and deadlines” (2007, p. 1). The Information Needed Information needed includes daily tasks, due dates for all assignments, work schedule, study time, sleep, and recreation. For example, two posts a day must be completed 4 days a week and three assignments, which are due on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. The work schedule is Monday through Friday from 7:55 a.m. to 5 p.m. and every second and fourth Saturday from 7:55 a.m. to 12 p.m., and it takes 30 minutes to go to and from work. Data would be needed to put all the information into a chart or schedule. To obtain all required facts, one would make a list of all the things to be completed in that week; one also would search the Internet on all sources available pertaining to making an effective schedule. The majority of the information can be found on the University of Phoenix library Web site and the rest from one’s day-to-day life. Evaluating the Information The process used will evaluate information that is most important first. Things that one will consider are due date, assignment length, and the time it will take to complete the assignment. Beginning with the due dates would be the easiest thing to do. The posts are due any four weekdays and assignments have exact due dates. The next thing to consider is how long the assignments are. Each post is usually anywhere from 150 to 200 words in length. The main assignments are anywhere from 500 to 1,050 words long. Then the time it would take to complete these assignments must be considered. The post will usually take no more than 2 hours, and the main assignments can take anywhere from 2 hours to a few days to complete. Using the Information The information gathered will be used to explain each weekday. On Monday, a person wakes up at 6:30 a.m. to prepare for work. Then he or she will leave for work at 7:20 a.m. and arrive at 7:50 a.m. After work, one will leave at 5 p.m. and arrive home at 5:30 p.m. Once the person arrives home, preparation to start class work begins. The first hour he or she will start and complete the assignment that is due on Thursday. Then the individual will stop to eat dinner and shower. Next, one will start the reading assignment for that week. After that the person will go to bed to be ready to start the next day. After work that Tuesday, he or she will complete the two posts for that day and spend another hour on starting and completing the assignment due on Saturday. On Wednesday, the person will respond to two of the classmates post, complete the reading assignment and begin on the assignment that is due on Monday. On Thursday, the individual will do post for that day and continue working on the assignments due on Monday. On Friday, the student would finish all assignments to be turned in and checked for accuracy and complete two posts to classmates. On Saturday, the individual will check and make sure that he or she has responded to at least eight posts on four different days. Next, all errors on any assignment will be corrected and sent back to be checked a second time. Sunday will be used as the day to revise the paper before sending it in for a final review. Finally, on Monday the student would turn in his or her assignment that is due that day and start the process over again. Conclusion By developing this strategy, the student has learned how to be organized in everything he or she does. This schedule will assist a person in being successful in obtaining various goals. One now has a guide to follow that will help a person manage valuable time. One thing about time management is “everyone has the same 24 hours in a day and your challenge is to make smart choices about how to use your 24 hours” (Carter, Bishop, & Kravis, 2007, p. 1). Reference Carter, C., Bishop, J., & Kravis, S. L., (2007), Keys to college studying: Becoming an active thinker, 2nd Ed. Retrieved June 30, 2009, from UoPhx rEsource GEN200.