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The Basics of Effective Learning
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Evaluating Your Schedule

This activity will help you to determine how you are spending your time and whether you need to make adjustments in your schedule in order to accommodate your goals and priorities.

Please note that some of these strategies are "visual" by nature and may not be appropriate for students who have visual disabilities. However, these links are made available so that all students may have the option of considering the use and value of these strategies for themselves.

1. Print, then complete the weekly schedule, filling in the ways you spend your time as accurately as possible.
2. Once you have completed this form, determine how many hours you spend in the following activities:
   
   School
   
   
   • Time traveling to and from school: _____
     
   • Time in class: _____
     
   • Time spent studying: _____
     

   
   Work

   • Time spent traveling to and from work: _____
     
   • Total hours spent on the job each week: _____
     

Family and Friends

• Time on the phone: _____
  
• Dating and/or meeting with friends: _____
  
• Family time/child care: _____
  

Personal Care

• Sleep: _____
  
• Eating: _____
  
• Exercise/hobbies/leisure: _____
  
• Chores/personal business: _____
  
• Spiritual life: _____
• Total Hours: _____
  
  
3. Now ask yourself the following questions:
   
   
   • Have I allowed enough time to do all the things I want/need to do? (Subtract your total from 168, the total number of hours in a week.)
     
   • Have I allowed enough time for study? You should schedule at least 2 hours of study for every hour that you are in class. (12 credits = 24 hours of study per week.)
     
   • What can I do to adjust my schedule so there will be enough time for everything?
     Suggestions: Cut your work hours? Drop a class? Work for a year and then start college? Use your time more efficiently?

You may need to take some time to sort out your goals and to prioritize how you want to spend your time. You can meet with a counselor at the College. (Ask for help.) There are also several courses at Bucks that can help you to set goals and determine how to manage your time:

• Career Decision Making
  
• Study Skills
  
• Effective Decision Making

4. Print, then fill in your Semester Schedule. As you receive syllabi from your instructors, fill in the dates when quizzes, tests, papers, and important projects are due. Also fill in important personal dates like birthdays, holidays and special events in your life. This will help you to determine when you will be especially busy and to plan accordingly. (See also section on writing a paper.)
   
   
5. In order to help yourself to manage your time on a daily basis, you may want to keep a "to do" list for each day. Write down what you need to do, then prioritize. You may want to purchase an appointment book for this purpose as well as for keeping a record of assignments as they are given in class. Some people find it helpful to refer back to their semester schedule to make sure that they are on track for getting long-term assignments done on time.
   
   Check out the section on this web site on Managing Your Time and Study Environment for more information.

Developed by Meg Keeley
Special Populations Office, Bucks County Community College
With funding from the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act
Designed and Produced by Chimera Studio

Copyright 1997 Bucks County Community College. All rights reserved.

Author: keeleym@bucks.edu