Time

1
Time

• Lecture 3

Photo courtesy of bbc.co.uk
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TIME

• Time is money
• Use it or you lose it
• We reach our prime by the age of 20 years
• Average life expectancies, men 74 yrs and women
  79 yrs
• 54 yrs left 648 months59 yrs 708 months
• If we are aged 20 yrs retire at 65 only 540
  more pay days (months)
• Time is a finite resource, it will run out one
  day for each of us
• The less there is, the more we value it.
• Ill health focuses our minds on the availability
  of time
• Imminent departure of a loved one focuses our
  minds similarly.
• Earth was created 4 billion years ago, modern man
  evolved tens of thousands of years ago
• If the world had lived for 24 hours, man would
• have been in existence for 10 seconds
• Time is relative, Albert Einstein

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Time theres plenty

• until lectures start
• until coursework is due in
• until the end of term
• until the exams begin
• until the rent is due
• until opening time
• until the next student loan cheque
• until I can shop for food again
• until I can afford to go out with friends again
• WE EACH HAVE THE SAME 24 HOURS BUT USE IT
  DIFFERENTLY

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Time? Im so stressed.theres none
leftstress-busting tips(1)

• Ive hardly even started revision and exams are
  this week..
• Got too much to do, I need an extension on my
  essay..
• Im so tired I cant make lectures, but had a
  good time last night (I think!)
• I cant work AND do my degree, theres just not
  enough time.
• How can I look after children AND do my degree,
  theres just not enough time?
• Theres not enough time to do everything, let
  alone spend time planning too
• Fail to plan and you plan to fail

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Time planningwhere to begin?

• Break down each semester into weeks
• By looking at each week, time spent at lectures
  can be measured, and other time, such as
  coursework, back-ground reading, family and
  social/sports activities can be planned.
• Remember, every 10 credits requires 100 hours of
  study (including lectures).
• To increase your mark by 10 you will need to
  double your workload.
• Programme in all deadlines and assignments asap
  and complete them early.
• Plan using manual weekly timetables or preferably
  by using EXCEL spreadsheets see the
  attachment that goes with this lecture.
• Break tasks into manageable chunks.
• Work to a routine.
• Think about what time of the day you work best.
• Refer to students learning guide
• http//www.aber.ac.uk/languagelearning/

Phone courtesy of skc.hu
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Planning for assignments

• Work out how many hours you have available to
  spend on that piece of work
• Estimate out how many hours it will take for
• Gathering materials
• Research
• Thinking
• Planning
• Writing
• Checking
• Incorporate these activities into your weekly
  timetable.
• Common mistake (you will do it at some point) -
  dont spend all your time researching and then
  find you dont have enough time to write the
  assignment. Stick to your schedule.

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Time planningsome dos and donts

• Do not leave your coursework until the last
  minute
• Do be prepared to ask questions with confidence,
  you will not be the only one needing
  clarification and help
• Do seek assistance sooner than later from
  lecturers or tutors
• Do remember each module demands time spent in
  lectures AND back ground reading
• Do attend all lectures, seminars, workshops and
  practicals
• Do assignments/essays when they are set
• Do work with other likeminded students and
  discuss the issues
• Do stick to your weekly schedule, change next
  weeks if necessary
• Do get enough sleep, remember an hours sleep
  before midnight is worth two after
• Do remember a problem shared is a problem
  halved pastoral tutors and fellow students can
  often help you see the wood for the trees

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Time planning. the balancing act

• What keeps us in balance?
• What are the important areas in which to spend
  our time?
• Who are the important people around us?
• What really matters to us?
• There are 8 significant areas in our lives
• Together they make up our wheel of life
• Family
• Social
• Personal Development
• Health
• Attitude
• Career
• Financial
• Spiritual
• Source Mindstore by Jack Black
  www.mindstore.com (2)

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Time planning. the balancing act 2

• Why is balance so important? Just try driving
  with one flat tyre
• Using the wheel of life model, give yourself a
  mark out of 10, to indicate your current position
  in each of the 8 significant areas of your life,
  10 is perfect, 0 and you need help.
• Draw a circle, and divide into 8 slices (as in a
  pie chart)
• Enter in each score, with a zero nearest the
  centre and a 10 at the outside edge
• Most peoples wheels look like they would not
  roll evenly at all, showing the need to rebalance
  the wheel
• Your perceived areas of shortcoming are therefore
  the areas in which to invest your time
• SIMPLE BUT NOT EASY

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Time planning top 5 mistakes

• Start the day without a plan where shall we go
  today?
• Get out of balance in your life who will pick
  you up?
• Work with a messy desk the insanity of
  repetitive searches
• Dont get enough sleep waste your principal
  assets, your brain and your time
• Dont take a lunch break - starve your brain of
  nourishment and rest
• Source Dr D E Whetmore from www.balancetime.com
  (3)

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Further Resources

• www.taylorontime.com
• Time Management Contributors
• Time Management Goal Setting
• Seven Steps for Effective Time Management
• Top Five Time Management Mistakes
• Stop Wasting Time
• www.filofax.co.uk/timemanagement
• http//www.mdx.ac.uk/www/study/Timetips.htm
• http//www.mdx.ac.uk/www/study/glossary.htm
• Time Home Page
• http//www.aber.ac.uk/languagelearning/study_guid
  e/

External References
1. BBC (2003).Top ten stress busting tips.
Available at http//www.bbc.co.uk/leeds/features/g
et_together/stress/stress_busters.shtml Accessed
23/09/05. 2. Black J (No Date). Mindstore.
Available at http//www.mindstore.com. Accessed
23/09/05. 3. Whetmore D E (No date). Homepage.
Available from http//www.balancetime.com/
Accessed 23/09/05.