PAC Tip: Time Management
Our Peer Academic Consultants can help with a variety of skills, including time management. Here are some tips you can use on how to effectively manage your time.
Why is time management so important?
Research shows that some time management skills are better predictors of grades than SAT scores. These skills include:
- choosing goals and subgoals, prioritizing the goals
- generating tasks and subtasks from the goals
- prioritizing goals/tasks
- listing the tasks on a “to-do” list
How should I get started with time management?
- Use a calendar: You might start with using Google calendar (part of Vassar’s Google Apps for Education) which sends reminders before important events
- Make a to-do list: Use your Notes app, a free app like Notion, or a physical piece of paper
- Limit distractions: Put your phone on “do not disturb,” use noise-canceling headphones, etc.
- Set a timer: Break things into intervals for more manageability
What are some effective methods for time management?
Pomodoro Technique
- Choose your assignment/work to do
- Set the timer to 25 minutes
- Work until the timer rings
- Take a 5-minute break
- Take longer breaks (15 to 30 minutes) for every four Pomodoro intervals
Eisenhower Matrix
- The Eisenhower matrix is a four-quadrant box that helps you separate the Important from the Urgent.
- Important tasks are those that contribute to your long-term goals and mission
- Urgent tasks are those that have a strict deadline and need to get done right away.
- Once you fill in the matrix with the tasks you need to get done, you will see that your tasks fit into four categories:
- Urgent and Important: Do these tasks first
- Important but Not Urgent: Decide on a time when you plan to do these tasks
- Urgent, but Not Important: Delegate these tasks or contribute less time to them
- Not Urgent and Not Important: Delete these tasks
What other strategies can I try according to different learning approaches?
| Type of Approach | Strategy #1 | Strategy #2 | Strategy #3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visual | Work in 25-minute intervals | Use color-coded notecards for active recall | Re-write/draw lecture notes from memory; focusing on connections |
| Auditory | Listen to videos and recordings at random times of the day | Create your own songs to remember formulas and definitions | Study with a friend; explain the information to them |
| Kinesthetic | Create visuals such as concept maps or flow charts | Chew gum while studying | Study in a rocking chair |
| Read/Write | Cornell Notes | Create mind maps using highlighters to annotate | Study alone in a quiet setting |
Need more help?
Check the Peer Academic Consultants main page for more information on time management and other academic skills. Our Peer Academic Consultants (PAC) are also available for individual consultations during which we can discuss your academic skills and personalize these strategies to be most effective for you! If you would like to sign up for an individual consultation, please fill out the Individual Consultation Form.
References
Britton, B. K., & Tesser, A. (1991). Effects of time-management practices on college grades. Journal of Educational Psychology, 83(3), 405–410.