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Estimating a Week's Time Commitments |
Now that you have started to think about all the activities and responsibilities
that demand your time, you need to actually assign numbers to these activities.
Estimate the time you spend in these activities during one week. Look
at the worksheet you completed in the previous activity. Make an additional
table like the one shown below. List every extra-curricular activity and
responsibility you have. Next to each entry estimate the time you'll designate
to these activities and responsibilities. Total the estimated time
column.
Extra Curricular Estimated Time (hours) Work 20 Rehearsals 6 Racquetball 4 Goofing Off 14 TOTAL Extra Curricular 44
Next look at your curricular, or in-class, activities and preparation time
and make two entries: one for the number of hours you spend in class weekly
and another for preparation time which is the number of in-class
hours multiplied by 2 or 3. Total the estimated time column.
Curricular Estimated Time In-class Prep Time English Literature 9-12 3 6-9 Art History 9-12 3 6-9 Chemistry 9-12 3 6-9 Chemistry Lab 3-4 1 2-3 Psychology 9-12 3 6-9 TOTAL Curricular 39-52 13 26-39
Total your estimated hours for both curricular and extra curricular activities.
Deena: Brian, how is your list coming along? You
mentioned sleep. How many hours did you allow for sleep each week?
Brian: Oh, about 5 hours a night, so about 40 hours. But, sometimes I'm so tired that I can't help but fall asleep in class.
Deena: No! Now, even you know that isn't a good way to spend your time in the classroom. You should be actively listening and taking notes. I know each person has different needs for sleep, but I think you should allocate about eight hours each night.
Brian: That's 56 hours!
Deena: Right! Cutting back on sleep isn't a very good time management strategy.
Sleeping is also a necessity. Add the average number of hours
you sleep per night, or day, or whenever you do your sleeping to your total. Many experts
recommend eight hours of sleep per night.
Sleep 5-6 TOTAL Estimated 154
There are 168 hours in one week. The sample worksheets show that 154 hours have already been estimated, leaving just 14 to be allocated.
Some students won't be surprised by the totals they see in their own estimated time logs, others will be amazed, frustrated, or feel as though things are totally out of their control.
Activity 3:
Time Management Exercise
Here's another way to look at how you spend your time. Mark the average hours per day or hours per week spent doing the activities on the left. While filling this out, think about where most of your time is wasted. Click the "Total Hours" button to calculate how many hours you spend on activities each week. The time remaining total will automatically update to show the amount of time that could be used for studying per week.
Return to the Time Management Lesson page by closing this page or go directly to the next section of this module.