Master Time Management

Follow the tips in the video to help build a weekly schedule. Video transcript.

Take time to plan

Creating a workable schedule takes time and planning. Many students may take about half an hour at the start of each week to create their schedule and then take 5-10 minutes daily to update it. Just make sure that scheduling doesn't become a form of procrastination! If you're spending hours each week creating the perfect schedule, you're procrastinating.

Know your best time of day

You'll be more productive if you know your body's natural rhythms. Plan to study your most challenging courses or do your most difficult assignments when you're at your best. Save easier or more enjoyable tasks for times when you're less tired.

Weekly review time

Build a weekly review time for courses with a lot of factual content to learn. Every week, set aside some time to review your notes from the previous week. If you have time, create a one-page summary of the main points from the week's lectures and readings. As you progress throughout the semester, you can use the summary sheets as a study guide for the course. 

Although weekly review sessions take time and commitment, you'll reduce the amount of time you need to study before the midterm or exam. You should also feel less stressed since the material is more familiar to you.

Many students get frustrated with using a weekly schedule because they feel that they must follow it, and they get discouraged when something unexpected happens. However, very few people do everything on their weekly schedule. Think of your weekly schedule as a guide to help you stay organized and anticipate upcoming tasks, not something that must be followed all the time.

Reverse scheduling

Still frustrated? Try a reverse schedule. Instead of using your weekly schedule to plan future tasks, use it to make a daily record of what you've accomplished. Some people find that a schedule used to focus on accomplishments rather than undone tasks is very motivating.