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Setting the timetable
Time is a special gift that we all receive in equal measure. Success lies in the ability to make the most of it. If we want to try to do this, we must plan what we want to achieve each day, week, month... (Julián Melgosa)
Techniques on how to schedule your time correctly and efficiently, so that you can do everything on time and without unnecessary stress, are called time management. When planning your activities (and this also applies to writing academic texts) you need to remember:
- When do you need to start?
- When do you need to finish the work?
- What needs to be done in the meantime?
- What takes how long: what takes the shortest time, what takes the longest time?
- What could cause delays?
Watch out for:
- Wrong estimation of time requirements.
- Lack of time reserve.
- Need to allow for unplanned events.
- Procrastination (from the Latin pro-crastinus, meaning for tomorrow), refers to the habitual postponement of tasks and responsibilities to a later time!
- Multitasking – if you need to engage in a demanding activity, you need to set aside space and time for that activity so that you can focus on it fully. This is because then you will also be much more productive.
There are countless techniques to develop good time management habits, such as:
- The Eisenhower Principle (a decision-making principle where you distinguish between urgent and important tasks).
- The Pomodoro Technique (25 minutes of work, 5 minutes of rest)
- To-do-list (list of tasks you need to do)
- MoSCow technique
There are also various applications, such as:
- Forest (App Store, Google Play)
- RescueTime(App Store, Google Play)
Tips for interesting materials and videos on the topic:
- (Open University): Time management skills (Open University)
- Time management (Imperial College London)
- A short guide to time management (The University of Birmingham)
- Time Management Tips (The University of Notre Dame)
- Manage Your Time (Griffith University)
- How to gain control of your free time
- Inside the mind of a master procrastinator
- Social networks and procrastination