Chapter Introduction
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5
Organization and Time Management
Get Organized
Take Control of Your Time
Overcome Procrastination and Minimize Distractions
Use Organization and Time Management at Work
My Personal Success Plan
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Do you know people who are very organized — people who label every drawer in their house, arrange their socks by color, or schedule each week down to the minute? If so, you may be tempted to dismiss those behaviors as excessive or over the top. After all, taken to extremes, any behavior can be unhealthy. But to a degree, the skills of being organized and managing your time are not only healthy, they’re essential for succeeding in college. These skills help you take control of your environment by clarifying what tasks you have to do, when you have to do them, and what resources you’ll need. When you’re in control, it’s easier to stay focused on your goals and minimize distractions that threaten to derail your plans.
Take Marcus and Tim. Marcus puts all of his classes and study times, his work schedule, and even his regular pickup basketball game into the calendar on his smartphone. When he and Tim meet to study chemistry, Marcus has a neatly organized binder full of notes, practice problems, and the assignment due each week. Tim is always a few minutes late to their study sessions and sometimes even forgets to show up. Occasionally he can’t find the assignment in the jumble of papers in his backpack. He often leaves his notes at home and asks to share Marcus’s notes.
In this scenario Marcus is more likely than Tim to succeed in college and in the workplace. By staying organized and managing his time, Marcus keeps his academic life on track. And he’ll make an attractive job candidate because managers want employees who arrive at work on time, show up for meetings, and keep track of important documents.
With these realities in mind, this chapter examines how you can take control of your environment and manage your life effectively. We start with organization — how you can get a handle on your course materials. Then we explore strategies for improving your time management, including reflecting on how you spend your time, setting priorities, and using a scheduling system. Next, we discuss how to deal with procrastination and distractions. Finally, we look at how organization and time-management skills translate into a successful career.
Reflect
On Your Organization and Time Management
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Take a moment to reflect on your Organization and Time Management score on ACES. To review your results, click here.
This score measures your beliefs about how organized you are and how well you manage your time. Do you think it’s an accurate snapshot of your current skills in this area? Why or why not?
IF YOU SCORED IN THE HIGH RANGE and you feel this score accurately reflects your skills, you’re probably quite organized and manage your time well. That’s great news! As with all skills, however, you can improve on your strengths. For instance, if you already use a weekly schedule to organize your time, you might add a to-do list for each day so that you can track your progress and stay on target. Trying new organization and time-management strategies will keep you at the top of your game.
IF YOU SCORED IN THE MODERATE OR LOW RANGE, don’t be discouraged. You can get more organized and manage your time more effectively. This chapter is filled with ideas for getting a better handle on your class materials and your commitments. Read on to get started!
MY ACES SCORE
HIGH
MODERATE
LOW
To find your Organization and Time Management score, go to the LaunchPad for Connections.