Time Management Plan
Time management is crucial while pursuing my graduate degree. Adjusting to college life is quite challenging as various obstacles can compromise the outcome of my studies. To succeed, I should effectively manage the time and strategize on how to eliminate the barriers that could interfere with my time management plan (Broadbent & Poon, 2015). I like to engage in various activities and thus look forward to joining several academic and co-curricular activity clubs that will contribute to the achievement of my educational goals. I will have the opportunity to interact with other students on academic and personal issues and thus gain experience, knowledge, and skills required to be a successful person. However, I understand that I need to evaluate my priority and create a flexible and realistic schedule that accommodates the time allocated for my studies, for friends and family members.
I prioritize attending classes to attain fill credit and completing the class assignments as well as individual and group assignments. I have realized that I need to set specific hours for personal studies. Currently, I spend an average of 2 hours of study for every class time. I have 12 credits in a semester and thus spend 24 hours in a week to study. I spend some time reading, preparing for the projects as well as the tests and writing papers (Broadbent & Poon, 2015). I study early in the morning when I am active. I use at least two hours, either reading and making short notes or researching the materials that I need to complete the weekly assignments. Group activity is also one of the strategies used by my instructor to teach, and therefore, I also use such groups to prepare for the upcoming exams. However, I ensure that despite being in the groups during class time, I also have to dedicate some time to my studies. It is during this time that I can process and evaluate the ideas and opinions presented by other students on a specific topic.
Several factors could interfere with my time management plan, and the most crucial factor that I need to address is procrastination. It affects the rate at which I complete the assignments and reading in preparation for the project. I may include goals that I may not attain given the limited time as some weekends I may be out of school spending time with friends and families. I may not get motivated to study and thus not to complete the assigned tasks as scheduled, thereby affecting the overall outcome of my study (Broadbent & Poon, 2015). I will have to complete the assignments in a hurry and not deliver quality and comprehensive project reports. I am also a perfectionist, and this tends to affect my performance. I spend time concentrating on one area of study, yet I could have spread the time to complete other tasks. Therefore, my perfectionist attitude may contribute to increased stress levels and thus having an impact on my grades.
The strategy that I will use to overcome the challenges in time management is setting clear goals that I want to achieve. Sometimes I may experience conflict with the time allocated for every aspect of my life and thus may have limited time to study (Broadbent & Poon, 2015). However, as long as I have set goals, including educational and career goals, I will dedicate my time towards achieving the goals. I will create a suitable study environment that incorporates my learning style and preferences. I will have to schedule challenging classes to adjust the time as well as have intense study sessions to grasp the fundamental concepts to meet the set goals. I am also a social change agent who advocates for positive outcomes in my life and that of other students. Therefore, I strive to ensure that I eliminate the obstacles that hinder my progress and work in groups with other students to complete assignments and projects for desirable outcomes.