Time Management

Hugh Davis/Su White

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Motivations

• Each module has ~25hrs teaching but (up to) 100 hours total study time in 12-14 weeks.

• Which implies maybe 2-3 hrs teaching and ~7 hrs self study per module per week • In extreme with 6 modules this would mean maybe 15 hours timetabled and 40 hours self study per week! • Plus recreation • Plus employment?

• It’s not really possible • This is worst case – and does not account for time used in vacation • But it does explain why you need to organise and prioritise your time 2

What does planning buy you?

• If you articulate the objectives you have then you are more likely to achieve them • Helps you differentiate the important from the urgent • Helps to stop procrastination • A plan gives you just one thing you should be doing – rather than trying to decide which of many things to tackle.

• Leaves you in control which reduces anxiety 3

How Good a Planner are you?

1. Do you have a diary with important deadlines?

2. Do you put daily plans on paper, to allocate time for your deadlines?

3. Do you allow flexibility in your plans?

4. How often do you accomplish all you plan for a given day?

5. How often do you plan time for what matters most to you?

6. How often is your daily plan destroyed by interruptions?

WEEKEND by time management expert Hyrum Smith, chairman of the Franklin Covey Co.

Score 1= never 2=seldom 3 = sometimes 4 = often 5 = always 4

Results

• 6-10: Terrible • Life just happens to you. And it often goes wrong.

• 11-15: Below average planner. • More effective planning will help to reduce the stress and lack of control you feel in your life.

• 16-20: Average planner. • Not bad. But may need help focusing on priorities and dealing with urgent interruptions.

• 21-25: Good planner. • You are in control of your life • 26-30: Excellent planner--or obsessive compulsive? • Make sure you’re in control of your planning rather than letting it control you.

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Time Management Technique

• Articulate your aims in life – Work, play, financial, esteem, family etc.

• Set Goals to achieve these aims – for this year, three years, ten years?

• Identify things you can do to achieve these goals • Identify deadlines and other time constraints – E.g. coursework deadlines, time to start revising for exams, time to apply for the summer holiday job, deadline for the entry form for the sailing regatta etc.

• Allocate time in a daily planner to meet the deadlines – Prioritise the important – Allow time for the things that matter – Know yourself; only allocate the time you will actually spend.

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Time Management Technique - example

• Articulate your aims in life – I want to have a professional job and salary • Set Goals to achieve these aims – I want to get a degree in computing • Identify things you can do to achieve these goals – Make sure I pass the modules/years • Identify deadlines and other time constraints – For INFO 1010 I have coursework3 deadline on 8 th January (first day of term). So need to do most of the work before the end of term (15 th Dec) • Allocate time in a daily planner to meet the deadlines – Next slide…..

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Get Things Done

• commonly abbreviated as GTD • action management method created by David Allen • a person needs to move tasks out of the mind by recording them externally – To free them from the job of remembering everything that needs to be done – To concentrate on actually performing those tasks.

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GTD

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getting_Things_Done 5 phases 1.

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6 levels of focus 1.

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Collect Process Organize Review Do Current actions Current projects Areas of responsibility Yearly goals 5 year vision Life goals Unless you are a very tidy person this is probably overkill for a student: Probably all you need is •A diary •An ordered ToDo list 9 Event 9

Software Support

• Can use Outlook – gives sync to mobile devices • Can use any number of RIAs e.g.

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Allocate time in a daily planner to meet the deadlines

• 10 mins 4 th Dec to email group and set up meeting on 7th • 1 hour group meeting 7th Dec to select topic (1200) • 2 hour research on allocated topic 11 th Dec (1800-2000) • Discuss the topic with tutor at tutorial 12 th Dec (1100) • 2 hour meeting 14 parts of presentation, and for putting together final presentation (1400-1600) th Dec to agree content, allocate responsibility for • 2 hours further research and slide production 3 slides to group leader) rd Jan (and send my • Sunday 7 th January. Meet group at 1500 for 2hours “dress rehearsal” of presentation 11

Some things in student life that need scheduling

• Lectures, tutorials etc.

• Time to do courseworks • Time to understand lecture notes (pre and post reading), and do examples • Time to revise for exams • Time for exercise • Time for recreational activities • Employment?

• Time to do things needed for longer term goals (write CV’s, job applications, attend meetings etc.) • And don’t forget time to reflect on progress and to re-schedule things!

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Project Management

• When things get complicated – Multiple tasks – Multiple people Then can use Gant Charts • Subject of SE courses • Shows – Timelines – Critical dependencies – Milestones 13

Example Gant Chart

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