Time Management Exercise
Student’s Name
Department, Institutional Affiliation
Course Name
Professor
Date
Time Audit for a Part-Time Student and Part-Time Employee
Summaries
Day 1:
I started the day by swimming to recharge my body. Accordingly, I had a major focus at work. However, when I interacted with my colleagues, several interesting discussion thoughts, unrelated to work, were stuck in my head. I kept drifting off to think about them when working. Meals also made me feel lazy and affected the progress of my work. Moreover, because of the rush hours during the mornings and evenings, the traffic was heavy, increasing my driving time. I also had a few friends who came over later, making it difficult to focus on other house tasks. Therefore, I had to complete some activities only after they had left. Of note is, a study by Sainz et al. (2019) shows that accomplishing goals relies more on managing the time available rather than having more time for the goals. Based on these findings, it is evident that I had not perfected my time management skills, which affected my chores. Nonetheless, preparing meals was easier because I had made prior plans. After the meal, I performed other chores, showered, and then I slept.
Day 2:
I started the day by exercising to gear up the body for the rest of the day. However, road traffic interfered with my schedule and caused delays. Such delays affected other tasks negatively, but I had to ensure that I addressed my scheduled activities. My work was affected as I engaged in storytelling with colleagues, took meals in between, and thought of home matters that I needed to attend to urgently. On the contrary, several disruptions made it difficult for me to adhere to my home schedules, such as visits from friends and neighbors, and a lack of planning. Some tasks were more manageable, as they required minimum attention to complete, such as working out or preparing meals. However, other chores were challenging to perform as my friends were around, and I had to be a good host. Meal preparation was fast as I had already planned, and all ingredients were available. After that, my friends would leave, and I would carry out other tasks before retiring to bed. I was unable to do anything else after completing most of the house duties.
Day 3:
Sleeping late made it difficult to start the day as expected. I missed a routine that was supposed to energize my body, which made me dull. It is worth noting that good routines or habits make life easier (MCTL, n.d.). However, the eagerness to learn something awakened my mind to absorb as much as possible in class, resulting in less time for revision. Studying through breaks in between classes equally boosted my learning. However, the approach appeared less effective if accompanied by other tasks. Therefore, it was better to complete any assignments and studies in a conducive environment, such as a library. Notably, studying needs breaks for effectiveness. On a lucky day, road traffic would allow minimal driving time from the university to a different destination. Performing random errands can be time-consuming; hence, prior planning is needed. Other tasks were difficult to complete with distractions from friends visiting, even when planned. Tasks that required minimal attention were easier to accomplish. I took a shower to refresh my body in preparation for some late studying before sleeping.
Day 4:
I woke up late again and skipped working out and breakfast due to time. The traffic was worse, which made me arrive at the university late. However, the professor was late, giving me time to settle in. Skipping breakfast meant I was hungry even before the first break. In effect, I was distracted for the last hour of class. The tea break rejuvenated me, but I still had difficulties during the next class because I did not have time to study the previous day. I spent most of the time completing assignments. After lunch, I went to the library to study. In the evening, I repeated the same routine of hanging out with friends, making up for missed work out sessions, showering, preparing dinner, and doing house chores. The house chores could only be done after friends left. Finally, I sat down to complete my assignments and do some revisions before sleeping.
Day 5:
I started my day on time with my usual routine as I slept early; hence, I had enough rest. However, I did not plan for today’s meals, as I was undecided for a while. The slight traffic made me a bit late. I was fully attentive in class as my brain and body had rested well. However, the lecturer did not give us a break all morning; thus, I lost some concentration in the last hour before the lunch break. It was also my last class for the day. I went back home within a short time and had lunch, followed by a nap. Television programs and social media can be addictive. Sometimes, I end up spending more time watching television programs or browsing through social media than I had intended. In such instances, I miss some scheduled tasks. After meals, I did my assignments as I had studied enough during the day, then finally went to sleep too.
Narrative
I am a student and a part-time employee. My week is split into two days of work and three days of school. The scenario implies that I only have three days to cover what a full-time student would have covered in a week of studying. For that reason, I have to complete many activities in a day, which leaves me with little time to rest properly. The DSL program is only going to make my schedule even tighter. For that reason, I need to devise how I will free up some time and fit the program into my daily schedule effectively. As per the time log, I realized that I could effectively accomplish the expected learning outcomes if I set up time to study. The key is to ensure that I have as much time as possible to dedicate to studies.
At times, road traffic can inconvenience people, as seen in the time log. I can consider commuting to work and the university. In case of heavy traffic, I could get off the commuter train or bus and walk to my destination, especially if I am almost there. Kapur (2018) asserts that flexibility is key in time management for effectiveness. If a normal routine is not working well, it is better to take a different approach to effectiveness. Alternatively, I could consider a different means of transport, such as riding a motorcycle, which can enable me to navigate traffic easily. Such a scenario would mean I avoid being late. Conversely, if I were driving to work, it would be impossible for me to leave the car on the road in the middle of traffic. Therefore, commuting would help me address the issue of traffic to avoid lateness and stick to my schedule.
Another way to free up some time would be to find a helper to attend to my daily chores. The individual would take over tasks, such as shopping for the required house supplies and groceries and preparing meals. Other duties that I would be relieved of would be cleaning the house, doing the dishes, and laundry. Notably, all these tasks consume a significant amount of my time while at home. I can only study late at night after my friends have left, and I have cleared all my chores. Research states that studying tasks need minimal distractions and that friends can be minor disruptions that need the discipline to manage (MCTL, n.d.; Kapur, 2018). Sometimes, I sleep late, and I am unable to wake up early, and my day’s schedule is ruined as a result. Hiring an assistant would allow me to concentrate on my studies and work as well as go to bed earlier.
Hiring a driver could be another strategy. The current COVID-19 situation might make commuting less desirable due to social distancing requirements. Therefore, driving is a better option. Currently, driving makes it difficult for me to do anything in the car, as I have to pay attention to the road. Some tasks cannot be done efficiently or effectively when multitasking. MCTL (n.d) notes that multitasking is simply switching back and forth between tasks, and every switch has time and cognitive costs that cause inefficiency. As such, multitasking can be dangerous, especially when driving. However, hiring a driver would allow me to do some studying on the way to work or to school and back, thereby adding to my studying hours. It is also safer as there are less people in the vehicle.
Social media time, watching television, and socializing with friends should be the least prioritized, as they do not contribute towards productivity. If anything, these interactions only cause distractions during working or studying hours. They take up time that I could have used for sleeping or completing other more helpful tasks. Kapur (2018) indicates that friends interrupting study sessions are minor intrusions that only require management discipline. Therefore, I should use the least time to engage in leisure activities.
Overall, time management is critical, as it allows a person to utilize the available hours in a day maximally. It can only happen once an individual conducts a time audit for his day for several days. The time audit has allowed me to identify areas that I can change to achieve more in the day. Alternatively, it has enabled me to establish how I can increase my productivity if I cannot alter some of the tasks. Some unnecessary activities that a person engages in may seem harmless in a day. However, a time audit enables individuals to identify tasks that are important to their productivity and those that are not. Despite my current busy daily schedule, this time log has helped me figure out how to incorporate new programs into my daily schedule. Accordingly, I have identified the challenges and opportunities, and I am currently working on them to improve my productivity.
References
Kapur, R. (2018). Time management – A case study. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323825207_Stress_Management_-_A_Case_Study
Sainz, M. A., Ferrero, M. A., and Ugidos, A. (2019). Time management: skills to learn and put into practice. Education + Training. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-01-2018-0027
The Mcgraw Center for Teaching and Learning (MCTL). (n.d.). Principles of Effective Time Management for Balance, Well-Being and Success. https://mcgraw.princeton.edu/effective-time-management