Taking control of your time.
Time management is the key to make sure things are done correctly and in a timely manner. In my opinion the first thing that needs to be done is to prioritize the list. Find the hardest task and work toward the easiest task. Once the larger tasks are completed everything thing else should fall in place.
I employ both techniques. If I can eliminate the quick urgent items I go to them first, then I feel I have breathing room to allow for the larger projects. Of course, the urgent items come first.
This is also a good strategy. However, I think that the most urgent ones are first. These could either be difficult ones or easy ones. For me it is the urgency that is most important.
That's tough Cynthia. You have to deal with a great ebb and flow of students - depending on the time of the semester. At a guess, you use your down time to get organized and prepare for the rush.
I agree that having a well-prioritized to-do list is essential for taking control of your time. I run into problems b/c I am the Campus Librarian and my #1 task is always to help students working in the library. It's great to help them succeed, but it also means that during busy times my to-do list gets pretty dusty.
Time Management=Success in my book. If more people spent less time saying what they "had" to get done, and actually put those words into actions it would be a more productive workforce. Procrastination is one of the leading problems with students who are not living up to their own potential.
Hey Richard... That's an interesting approach. It has been my experiance we often have to make decisions fast, without enough time to systematically go through the above action and thinking steps. In such situations the most effective decision making strategy is to keep an eye on your goals and then let your intuition suggest you the right choice.
That sounds like a great approach Richard. Some instructors like to identify the hardest task, complete it and then move on to easier ones. Other do the easiest tasks first - as confidence builders - and then move to the harder ones. Knowing which method works best for you is key.
