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Tips and Tricks 3:
Time Management @ KU Leuven
Karel Joos
Study Advice Service
October 27th 2014
Managing Time Effectively
Managing Time Effectively
• Introduction
• Increasing awareness
• How to manage your time?
• Difficulties
• Advantages
Introduction
Introduction
• How much time do you spend studying?
o Number of hours in class per week = ?
o Number of hours study time per week = ?
o Total load = ?
Introduction
• Research : The ‘average’ student spends 37,5 - 45 hours a week
o including studying, preparing papers, attending courses/ lectures, library/ lab work, ..
o For 60 credits, passing in June
• 1 credit = 25-30 hours
• 1 year = 1500 – 1800 hours
Increasing Awareness
Increasing Awareness
• Questionnaire
Managing Time Effectively
• Time management questionnaire • 45 - 50 points: You're on your way to becoming CEO of a major
corporation!
• 38 - 44 points: You’re in control and well organized.
• 30 - 37 points: You are managing your time fairly well, but sometimes feel overwhelmed.
• 25 - 29 points: Your college career is likely to be stressful and less than satisfying unless you take steps to begin to manage your time more effectively.
• less than 25 points: Your life is one long roller coaster ride, out of control.
Increasing Awareness:
• Keep track of the number of
o hours spent studying
o hours spent not studying
• After recording : could your time be better/more effectively
spent ??
How to Manage Your
Time?
Systemizing
• Do not wait until you feel like having fun in studying
• Look for a system :
o Develop a manageable routine
o … that can last for weeks or months
• System =
o Chop into manageable chunks
Examples :
• Detailed schedule
• Number of hours/week
o On Friday : count
• If ok, free weekend
• If not ok, add some hours in weekend
• Number of hours/day
o E.g. 8h/day in total (lectures included)
o 2h of individual studying
• Review previous lecture before next one
Ingredients
• Goals
o As concrete/clear as possible
o When did you reach your goal of the day??
• Motivation
o Pick a major study goal
• f.ex. Passing an exam : think about the result
o Break your goal down into steps/substeps
o Reward yourself on completion of a step
• ‘coffee break!’; ‘well done!’; activity…
Some Tips
• Times of the day when you are most alert
• Contrast activities : after 2 hours of study, some physical activity
• Breaks : every 50 min – 10 min ??
• Small chunks of time : 15 - 30 min
o list of small tasks
• Installing good habits (‘automatic pilot’)
o Active recreation : • jogging, fitness-training, swimming…
• Two or three times a week
• at least 30 minutes per activity.
Difficulties
No Overview
• Short term
• Long term
o overview of things to do in the coming weeks and
months.
o relevant data and periods like tests, exams, deadlines
for papers; other activities, …)
o Calendar or time schedule
Concentration
• Concentration = fever
• Set an immediate small goal and refocus your attention
o Short term pleasure – pleasure on the long term
o Opposite of addiction (pleasure on short term)
• Distracting thoughts and worries :
o write down ?
• Deal with personal problems
o talk to friend, counsellor
• Remove distracting stimuli
o pictures, computer, mobile phone…
• Change your environment
o move your desk or try other places (library)
Fear of Failure • Worries about ‘ disastrous’ consequences of a study
failure
• Tendency to judge own possibilities pessimistically.
• High level of stress (psychosomatic problems, like
insomnia, having difficulty to eat, crying fits, feelings of
powerlessness and panic)
• Distracting thoughts : ‘Oh dear, this is going wrong, the
professor will think I’m stupid, I’m blushing, I’m really
making a fool of myself…’
• Chain of thoughts : no study exam failed no
diploma no work no partner horrible life…
Fear of Failure (2)
• Active fear of failure :
o perfectionist - control - hardly ever dare to relax
o Looking for certainty
• Passive fear of failure :
o confrontation avoidance / escape into relaxation activities
Other Underlying Difficulties
• Idea of “losing time”
• Forced to study
• Passive agression
• Low self-esteem
• If admired in the past, …
• Magic thinking
• …
Advantages
Time Management: Advantages
• Reduces stress
• Increases productivity
• Makes you feel better
o more self-confident, less guilty, frustrated,…
• Helps you accomplish important long-range goals in life
Contact
o Study Advice Service
Naamsestraat 80
3000 Leuven
016/32 43 11
www.kuleuven.be/studyadvice (contact form)
Good Luck!
