Time management skills

1. Academic Survival At JSU How to Make the Grades…..

Presenters:
Ms. Monesa Watts
Time Management
Ms. LaTonya Robinson
Effective Note-Taking
Dr. Brenda K. Anderson
Managing Test Anxiety
Mrs. F. Janelle Hannah-Jefferson
Test-Taking Skills
Committee Members:
Mrs. Carol Cooper
Ms. Kenya Washington
PowerPoint Technician
Mr. Frederick Connors

2. Time Management Skills

Presenter:
Ms. Monesa Watts

3. Time Management

Time management is
straightforwardly defined as
the management of time in
order to make the most out
of it.[1]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_managem
ent

4. Time Management

But in a 2001 interview, David Allen
observed:
You can't manage time, it just is. So "time
management" is a mislabeled problem,
which has little chance of being an effective
approach. What you really manage is your
activity during time, and defining outcomes
and physical actions required is the core
process required to manage what you do.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_management

5. Time Management

Time - the measured or measurable period
during which an action, process, or
condition exists or continues.
Management - the act or art of managing
: the conducting or supervising of
something (as a business).
Managing - to handle or direct with a
degree of skill.
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary.htm

6. Time Management Questions?

How much time do you have?
What are your goals?
Does free time really mean free
time?
Do you have a schedule?
Do you use a planner?
Do you procrastinate?
Are you equipped with Time
Management Tips?

7. How much time do you have?

There are 24 hours in a day.
7 days in a week ( 168 hours).
365 days in a year.
An extra day during leap year.
Make a list of everything you have to do.
Figure out how much time you can
devote to each task.
By analyzing your time, you will know what
time of the day you do your best work.
You will discover how much time your
wasting with telephone calls, interruptions, or
just hanging out with friends.
Make sure you include class and study
time.

8. What are your goals?

Make your goals specific and
concrete.
Set long-term and short-term
goals?
Set a deadline for your goals.
Monitor your goals.
Change goals if needed.

9. Do you have a schedule?

Set up your semester calendar.
Review Syllabus for class schedules.
Block all class and lab times
Highlight exams and project due dates.
Identify routine homework.
Incorporate break time.
Divide study time into 50-minute blocks.
Use spare time to review.
Don’t forget to reward yourself when
you do something right.
“Work smarter, not harder.” – Alan
Lakein

10. Set Priorities

Which goals are important to you?
Which goals are urgent?
Assignments due at the ends of the semester
can be completed in a series of steps and need
not be completed immediately.
It is important to work on one task at a time.
Plan time to begin the process, i.e. visiting the
library on several occasions to gather research data
for a paper that is due.
Try to plan at least two hours of study time to per
day to review class notes from your courses and to
work on assignments that are due.
Faithfully using your student planner/calendar will
help you to prioritize your work.
How can you establish priorities?
“to-do list” – Cross off each task as you
complete them.

11. Most of the time we struggle to create a balance between:

1. Our Needs
Eating, sleeping, personal hygiene, etc.
2. Our Desires
Socializing, concerts, vacations, reading,
exercising, shopping, TV/video games.
3. Our Obligations
Fulfilling the expectations of others.
Hanging out with friends instead of doing
homework or preparing for an exam.
Arriving late or missing class will send a
negative message to faculty about what
you value.
Constant stress and anxiety of
accompany ineffective time
management.
An awareness of how you balance your
time is good.

12. Finding Balance

Find balance between:
Academic schedule
Social life
Time alone

13. Procrastination

Procrastination is a major
obstacle that can prevent you
from practicing good time
management skills.
It is the constant pushing aside
of tasks that need to be
completed and is the archenemy
of all students.

14. Ways of overcoming Procrastination

Make the Task Meaningful
Ask yourself why the task is important to you and what it has
to do with your long-term goal.
2. Take the task apart
Sometime an assignment can appear to be overwhelming.
Breaking large assignments into manageable parts will help.
Set dates to work on each of the pieces.
3. Keep yourself organized
Having everything you need right at your fingertips will save
a lot of time when starting a project.
4. Be positive
Avoid speaking negatively about the task and your ability to
move toward completion. Instead, by positive. Tell yourself,
“I know that I can finish this work.”
5. Plan a reward
Do something for yourself that you would not normally no,
but withhold the reward if the task remains incomplete.
6. Just do it – Complete the task
The moment you find yourself procrastinating, complete the
task; then, you won’t have to think about it anymore.
1.

15. Time Management Tips

Write things down.
Prioritize your list
Plan your week.
Spend some time at the beginning of
each week to plan your schedule.
Carry a notebook.
Don’t rely on memory
Write down those great ideas and
brilliant insights (capture your thoughts).
Learn to say no.
Say no to low priority requests.

16. Food for Thought

Students who control and
monitor their time give
themselves the ability to be
flexible.
They understand that TIME can
be used as an important
resource.

17. Academic Survival at JSU

Effective Note-Taking
Presenter: LaTonya Robinson
October 10, 2007

18. 5 C’s of Note-Taking

Take Charge of Your Lectures
Concentrate and Focus on the
Material
Listen Critically
Connect and Capture Key Ideas

19. Take Charge of Your Lectures

Commit to Class
Pre-read material to be
covered before class
Identify areas that are
difficult to understand
Arrive to class early and
review notes from the
previous class period

20. CONCENTRATE and focus on the material!!!

Beware of Distractions
Talking
Daydreaming & Doodling
Worrying

21. Listen Critically

Be Ready for the Message
Listen to Main Concepts
Listen for New Ideas
Ask Questions

22. Connect and Capture Key Ideas

Identify key words, themes and main points
Relate Details to the Main Point
Listen for Clues
Note when a topic comes up more than once
Transition words signal the change in topics or new key
points
“In contrast to”
“Let’s move on”
“This will be on the next exam”
“You will see this again”
This one for sure!

23. Choose the Note-Taking Style that’s Just Right for You!

Use any strategy that
will help the key
ideas stand out to
you!!

24. Note-Taking Styles

Outline Method
The Cornell Method
Paragraph (Summarizing) Method
Fishbone Diagram (Listing) Method

25. The Outline Method

Formal
Outline
Use headings and
subheadings
followed by course
material
Easiest method
with organized
lectures
Informal
Outline

26. The Cornell Method

Divide your notepaper by
drawing a vertical line 2
inches from the left margin.
On the right side, take your
notes from class.
On the left side, write
key words
questions
comments
Examples
On the bottom, write a
summary
These will make your work
easier to review later
Test yourself by identifying
the lecture material on the
right , prompted by your
comments on the left.

27. The Paragraph Method

Often works best when a
lot of notes are given in a
short period of time and
the instructor is a fast
talker or the lecture is
disorganized.
Listen critically for
important facts.
Create your own summary
of what has been
presented.
Write down summary in
your own words.
Did you
get
that?
No, we’d
better
summarize!

28. The Fishbone Diagram

The Problem or outcome
is printed in the “head”
of the fish.
Identify the primary
factors and connect as
ribs to the backbone.
Elaborate each rib with
the details related to the
primary factor.

29. Other Note-Taking Tips

Always date your notes!
Paraphrase your notes!
Don’t Erase Mistakes!
For Lectures with fast talkers, consider
writing in cursive or tape recording.
Use Abbreviations!
Be Organized!
Evaluate your note-taking style strategy
regularly!

30. Questions

Presentation pictures form
Multi-media 2007

31. Surviving Test Anxiety

Presented by
Mrs. Carol J. Cooper
Dr. Brenda K. Anderson

32. Signs of Anxiety:

Headaches
Anger
Nausea
Depression
Rapid Heart Beat
Pacing
Sweating
Fainting
Negative Self-Talk

33. Test Anxiety

Test Anxiety is common among college students!
Test or performance anxiety typically occurs:
in the presence of a difficult or challenging situation,
when you believe you are inadequate or incapable of meeting
the challenge, and,
you fear the consequence of possible failure.

34. Test Anxiety

When psyched out and anxiety takes over, you may
experience:
distracting thoughts of failure
an inability to pick out important cues
becoming distracted by irrelevant cues
interpreting the results of physical arousal (muscle tension, heart
rate, respiration) as signs of fear
attempting to avoid or escape the situation
giving up

35. Some tips for reducing test anxiety

There
are several ways to make test
anxiety more manageable:
Preparation
Keep a positive attitude
Relaxation techniques
Learn good test-taking skills

36. ADDITIONAL COPING STRATEGIES

The techniques for dealing with test or performance anxiety can be
divided into five basic principles:
Be healthy
Be prepared
Practice the performance
Regulate your arousal level:
Deep breathing
Progressive muscle relaxation
Reduce distractions
Rituals
Control the fear:
• Positive self-talk
• On-task self-talk
• Gaining perspective

37.

The day of the test:
begin your day with a moderate breakfast and avoid coffee,
try to do something relaxing the hour before the test,
plan to arrive at the test location early, and
avoid classmates who generate anxiety.
During the test:
tell yourself “I can be anxious later, now is the time to take the
exam.”
focus on answering the question, not on your grade!
counter negative thoughts with more valid thoughts like, “I don’t
have to be perfect.”
take deep slow breaths and try to maintain a positive attitude.

38. Summary

Remember, it is perfectly natural to experience test anxiety while
in college. The main thing is not to let it get out of hand.
Anxiety can serve as a motivator that prompts us to work toward
our full potential. When the focus of our energy turns to the
anxiety rather than the task at hand, then it becomes detrimental
to our efforts.
To overcome test anxiety:
develop good study habits,
avoid cramming at the last minute,
eat a moderate meal before the test,
learn to relax,
and STOP those negative thoughts!

39. Test-Taking Skills

Mrs. F. Janelle Hannah-Jefferson
Academic Advisor

40. First & Foremost…

First & Foremost…
Put the test in perspective.
Of course, you want to do your best,
but remember:
This test is not the end of the world, all
you are doing is putting marks on a
piece of paper or on a computer screen.
Be prepared. Relax.
Know that you will pass the test with
flying colors.

41. Planning Your Approach

Prepare physically for the exam.
Prepare mentally for the exam.
Find out about the test.
Know what is expected of you.
Design an exam plan.
Join a study group.
Use tutoring and other campus support
resources.

42. Strategies for Various Tests

One strategy that works for almost all
tests:
If an answer comes quickly, go with it!
If you’re really not sure, come back to it
later.
Otherwise, different tests have
different strategies:
Objective tests
Subjective tests

43. Objective & Subjective Tests

Objective & Subjective Tests
Objective tests include
multiple choice
matching
true-false
fill in the blank
Subjective tests
Short answer
Essay questions
Good study strategies
include:
using flash cards
making a concept
vocabulary list
reviewing your text’s
study guide
reviewing your notes
work with a tutor
join a study group

44. Multiple Choice Strategies

Read the question carefully and try to answer it
before you read the choices.
Strike out wrong answers.
Mark answers clearly and consistently.
Change answers cautiously. Beware of secondguessing yourself.
Read all the options before making a choice.
If you don’t know an answer, move on.
If all else fails, make an educated guess!!

45. True-False Strategies

Read the question carefully.
Go with your hunch.
Watch for key words:
Absolutes (never, etc.) are probably false
Relatives (some, etc.) are probably true
Double negatives – not untruthful, etc.
If a part of it is false, all of it is false.
Answer all questions unless there is
a penalty for guessing.

46. Fill-in-the-Blank Strategies

Read thoroughly to be sure what is being
asked.
Be brief and specific.
Give an answer for every blank.
Short blanks may have long answers and vice
versa. Don’t assume anything.
Remember an “a” before a blank wants a
consonant word and “an” a vowel word.
Watch for key “trigger” words.

47. Essay Question Strategies

Read the question carefully.
What is the question asking
for?
Outline the key ideas.
Refer specifically to the
question in your opening
sentence.
Make a clear, coherent
thesis statement.
Develop the main body of
the essay to support your
thesis statement.
Conclude by summarizing
how your thesis is
supported.
Watch grammar, spelling
and punctuation.
Use humor if it fits in.
Be sure you have
completely answered the
question.
Write legibly.
Proofread your work.

48. Okay, you flunked it! Now recover your balance.

Don’t let yourself become undone by one
failure.
Use the disappointment to critically think
about
the causes of the poor performance
crafting new strategies to improve your
situation.
Begin by reviewing your test results.
Talk to your instructor or a tutor.

49. Tempted to cheat? Resist the Impulse

Cheating can have ugly consequences:
Cheaters struggle with a nagging conscience, self-doubt,
dissatisfaction, and guilt.
Humiliation results if you get caught.
You may, at least, receive a “0” on your exam, or possibly be
expelled from the college or university.
Professors who catch you cheating may spread the word and
refuse to write letters of recommendation, ruining chances for
graduate study or participation in special programs.
And remember the person you cheat the most is yourself.

50. Finally, one more time: The Big Three

Be prepared!
Relax!
Know you can do it!