Thomas B. Day Freshman Success Program, San Diego State University
Blackboard Module Example:
Getting Organized
Introduction
Students who complete this module will: become more accountable for managing their own time in order to further their academic success.
In high school, students spend about 35 hours a week in school and only a few hours a week studying on their own. In college, students are in class for about 15 hours per week and complete reading assignments, projects, and papers on their own time. To achieve high grades, college students should spend an additional 2 hours every week studying outside of class for every hour that they spend inside the classroom. For 15 units, that means an additional 30 hours a week outside of class studying on your own!
This is why it is so important for college freshman to learn the ins and outs of time management. By taking control of how you spend your time, you’ll increase your chances of becoming a more successful student. Perhaps more importantly, the better you are at managing the time you devote to your studies, the more time you will have to spend on your outside interests.
The goal of time management is not to schedule every moment so you become a pawn of a timetable that governs every waking moment of the day. Instead, the goal is to permit you to make informed choices as to how you use your time. Rather than letting the day slip by, largely without your awareness, the time management procedures you will learn can make you capable of harnessing your time for your own ends.
Extracted from: Feldman, R.S. (2007). Power learning: Strategies for success in college and life. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Connect
Step One
Respond to the "connect" question in the discussion board:
- What kind of system (or lack of system) for managing your time guides your decisions about your daily activities?
Step Two
- Review the Blank Time Management Matrix (from Stephen Covey’s book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People) demonstrating that our actions fall into one of four quadrants, depending on their importance and urgency.
- Review examples of the types of activities that belong in each quadrant (If you have not already done so, you can retreive your weekly class schedule online. Follow instructions in the Extend tab.)
- Identify the dates and times of all of your quizzes, exams, paper and project deadlines.
Step Three
Time Management for College Students
- View the PowerPoint demonstrating a system for managing your time.
Step Four
- Thoroughly read the syllabus for each one of your classes. (You should make this a habit at the beginning of every semester.)
- Identify the dates and times of all of your quizzes, exams, paper and project deadlines.
Apply
Respond to the "apply" question in the dissucion board:
- Looking at the Blank Time Management Matrix, reply to this thread by categorizing 15 specific actions (in list form) you have taken in the past two days in the appropriate quadrants.
- After completing the Quadrant exercise, in which quadrant are you choosing to spend most of your time?
- What have you learned or relearned concerning your use of time by doing this exercise?
Reflect
Respond to the "reflect" question question in the discussion board:
- What is your best strategy for saving time?
Extend
You've learned in the Time Management PowerPoint slide show how important it is to maintain a monthly calendar. If you choose not to purchase a planner, the document, Fall 2009 Calendar.rtf , provides a free fall 2009 monthly calendar that you can print out. Once you print it, don't forget to write down all of those important due dates!