In this Section:

Time Management and Organization

• Time Distribution Assessment
  
  
• Your Assessment Results
  
  
• A Well-Balanced Schedule
  
  
• Simple Ways to Save Time

MIT Study Skills

Academic Integrity

Test-Taking Strategies

Finals Preparation

TIME MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION—Simple Ways to Save Time

Here are some easy ways to can save time daily.

• The Alarm Clock is Your Friend. Don't ignore your friend! Your alarm clock is one of the few time management tools that will actually pester you to stay on schedule. If you can't rise to the alarm, then chances are you will have a hard time following the rest of your schedule.

• Make Waiting Productive. You will literally spend years of your life waiting-- in line, for appointments and meetings, to catch the bus or train, between classes... the list is endless, and the time adds up. Find simple ways to make this time productive: keep note cards handy for review, touch up your lecture notes, continue with a reading assignment or work on a problem set. Remember that most tasks aren't done completely in one sitting. Make incremental progress whenever possible. Along these lines...

• Break Big or Difficult Tasks Into Smaller Ones. Getting started on a challenging problem set, a large research project or preparing for finals can be difficult because the task at hand is overwhelming. Use the Assignment Timeline to break a project down into manageable components. This will help you in several ways:

  • you will have a plan for accomplishing the task at hand;

  • you will know at a glance whether you are on schedule for timely completion;

  • you will have goals and checkpoints toward which to strive; and

  • lastly your focused attention on each component will help you to manage the details, which can easily become lost with a global, "all at once" perspective. Adapt this technique for smaller, more dense tasks as well, such as reading for a difficult subject.
    

• Keep a Daily To-Do List. Prioritize tasks and carry over those that you did not complete to the next day. Your goal is not to do everything in one day, but to prioritize and do everything in a timely fashion. A To-Do list is a simple tool, but it will save you time.

• OHIO: Only Handle It Once. When you sort through your mail, do you tend to look at everything once, and then leave it all in a pile, perhaps opening one or two things of interest? Then when you need to pay bills, you have to look at everything a second time in order to pull out your statements. Later, you may go through the same pile a third time to find a program flyer or the one credit card offer in which you might be interested? What a hassle! Only handle things once. When you sort your mail, sort it into bills, items to file/keep, items to pursue (put them on your to-do list) and recycling. You can likewise triage your email and telephone messages.

• Organize Your Space. Even a brilliant time management plan will run aground if you find yourself constantly looking for misplaced text books, lecture notes, car keys, meal card or student ID. This is not to say that your room must be ruthlessly spotless, but there is a certain degree of freedom in knowing where important things are without having to look. By keeping your space organized in a way that makes sense to you, you can free yourself from interruptions in creativity and those annoying last-minute searches that make you late.

• Consume Information Selectively. You are constantly bombarded with information: from the Internet, television, radio, magazines, newspapers-- you name it. Some of it is not worthwhile, but even putting that quantity aside, there remains a vast sea of news, events, entertainment and learning of interest to you. When you are taking in a program, having a conversation or studying, ask yourself if you need this information. Will be useful to you later?

• Stop Others From Stealing Your Time. Who interrupts your work? Well-meaning friends and family can sometimes be a constant distraction. Pick a quiet, comfortable study location where you are not likely be disturbed, and tell only those friends who can preserve your space where you will be. If this doesn't work, you might have to be more direct. Most people will be understanding about your need to concentrate on your work.

• Email and Instant Message In Moderation. Are you spending more than an hour per day composing email or sending instant messages? Is this necessary? You might feel as though you are multi-tasking when you message someone while reading or doing problems, but often the reverse is true. You are gradually becoming drawn into a conversation so slowly that you are not aware of the time you are spending, until hours have passed. An assignment done while instant messaging or in between emails will likely take 2-3 times longer and not turn out as well.

  Limit yourself to one hour of email/message time per day, a half hour in the morning and a half hour in the evening. When it is your time to send messages, have an agenda in mind for your replies, avoid tangents and stop when the half hour has passed. Be clear and succinct in your writing, and you will find you can convey much in a short space and time-- and still get your work done.

• Use Technology to Make Life Easier. Nothing should make an MIT student happier than this suggestion. Electronic planners are often more efficient than paper planners because one schedule is usually integrated in many views. With one click you can see your daily plan, as well as your weekly and monthly. Consider getting direct deposit for your paycheck and online banking for paying your bills. Medical prescriptions can be filled through online pharmacies and shopping is easy over the Internet. Go out and enjoy all that Boston has to offer, but when time is short and your daytime hours are limited, keep in mind that these are some easy ways to run an errand