Time Management – Week and Day

Breaking it Down

Weekly schedule for this semester: Begin by setting up a calendar laid out to reinforce the new habits you're building.

Start with your solid/fixed tasks (classes, weekly meetings, tutoring appointments, etc.).
Set aside regular times for taking care of your physical needs: eating, sleeping, exercise (you may come up with others, like doing laundry, cleaning your room, etc.). The more routine you can make this taking-care-of-me time, the more your body will cooperate, and the more alert and in control you will feel.
Identify at least two hours per credit for study time (try to break it up across the week so you’re not setting yourself up for overload).
Include a weekly planning time (30-60 minutes), to help you remember to take stock and plan the upcoming week’s tasks.
Keep it with you!

Weekly schedule draft (sample)

A starter template for you.

Weekly schedule for THIS WEEK--Use the basic calendar as a starting point for planning the week to come.

(click here for a sample of a week’s completed plan)

Schedule times to get your tasks done, and be specific. “Study Psych” isn’t enough–what part of the material will you be working on? What will you be doing? Instead, write “Read Psych Ch.8” or “Make study sheet for Ch.6-8”; this type of attention to the task will give you better control.
Check your long-term schedule—what’s coming up? What preparation is needed? Can you break it into smaller chunks, with short-term deadlines you can set for yourself? Don’t limit yourself to academic tasks here—what does your life need you to remember to do this week?
Overestimate the time you will need to address these tasks, and put them on the schedule with fixed items first, then the flexible ones, and then (last) the “whenevers”. You know best how long you can work on a given task, and when you can manage it most effectively: be realistic. Play to your strengths!
Try to plan your most difficult study for times when you are most alert.
Break up long study blocks with brief breaks (about 5-10 minutes/hour) and/or by shifting topics (e.g., History, then Chemistry) or type of study (e.g., reading, then writing) every hour or two, to keep your mind fresher.
Use the template as a STARTING point, not a rigid set of rules; we know that life happens! Particularly when there’s a lot going on in one aspect of your life (academic or social), you’re going to need to make adjustments.
The important thing is that you have adequate time to address each of your classes—understanding the material and finding ways to make it belong to you (more on that in our Studying Strategies workshop).
When there’s a lot going on in both your social and academic life, you definitely are going to need to rethink your basic template—don’t be afraid to move stuff around. But DO pay attention to each important piece—make sure it stays important!
Finally, If things don’t play out the way you’ve planned, don’t beat yourself up—look for another time when you can take care of what you missed.

Daily to-do list: Each morning (or the night before), make a plan for yourself that includes the specific things you want to be sure to remember.

(click here for a sample of a day’s list)

Group errands, etc., to keep from having to make multiple trips.
Check things off when they’re completed: show yourself the progress you’ve made!
Lay out the materials you will need to have with you, so you don’t have to worry about forgetting something in the rush to get out the door in the morning.