Dr. Melissa Read

Richard, Some of us have certainly developed time management rituals over the years. Every now and then, it's important we examine them to see if they are optimal or could be improved. Sounds like you have got a good system in place. Dr. Melissa Read

Mardi, Sometimes we are the biggest source of our own stress. It's interesting to hear that this might be the case for you. Of course, acknowledging where stress comes from is the first step toward doing something about it. So in short, you are on the right track! Dr. Melissa Read

Tricia, Wow, that kind of turn around time sounds tremendous for your students. It's wonderful to provide nearly instant feedback. Sounds like you've got an organized system in place for managing the grading process. Dr. Melissa Read

Courtney, That sounds tough. Sometimes our administrations create objectives that feel tangential at best to our goals. In these situations, it can help to ask for clarity and context about how these activities are relevant. This can facilitate your learning. Dr. Melissa Read

Maria, Those sound like two great outlets for managing through stressful situations. They also sound productive too. It's great to have a variety of outlets that you can count on. Dr. Melissa Read

Melannie, It sounds like you have a great system in place and one that you can rely on. You are right, you don't necessarily need to change it. Just keep it up. As for your procrastination challenge, yes trying to work on a few tasks at a time can help. Breaking larger tasks into smaller ones is another great approach. Dr. Melissa Read

Ali, Practice makes perfect indeed. Great time management skills don't happen overnight. Like any subject we learn, they require time and focused attention. It sounds like you are well on your way to mastering these skills. Dr. Melissa Read

Mike, It sounds like you know yourself well and have a healthy approach to getting things done. For you, it's not just about the way things look but actually about true progress. That is something many others can learn from. Dr. Melissa Read

Jeffery, I understand where you are coming from and a lot of students in this forum have shared that they have similar experiences. I rarely meet a person who gets everything done that they wish to accomplish each day, though many try. Knowing that sometimes helps as we have high expectations of ourselves. Sometimes we need to press the reset button on those expectations understanding that most days are not going to be 100% perfect. Dr. Melissa Read

Jennie, This is an interesting observation. Social networks like Twitter and Facebook and driven a higher desire for immediate feedback. That being said, it's important to clearly set expectations in the classroom on what is reasonable and realistic. While we are all aided by technology, there are some fundamentals that require a time investment no matter which tools we use. Dr. Melissa Read