MENTORSHIP

PROGRAM
Session 6
LESSON AIMS:
• Be Introduced to Effective Time Management
• Learn some ways you can have better time
management.
WHAT IS TIME
MANAGEMENT?
TIME MANAGEMENT
Discuss the following questions in small groups:

1. Do you think you have good time management skills? Why /

why not?

2. Why is time management important for students?

3. What can stop a student from having good time management

skills?
HOW DO YOU USE YOUR
TIME?
Time spent:
1. Personal (travel,
cooking/eating,
meeting friends,
family, reading,
exercise, watching TV,
social media, leisure,
job)
2. Study (classes,
assignments,
homework, revising for
exams)
3. Sleep
TIME CIRCLE
A balanced day should be composed of three equal parts:

8h – Study
8h - Personal
8h – Sleep Persona
Study
l

Do you think you

have a balanced Sleep
day?
EXAMPLE DIARY

a) Look at Simon
De Montfort’s
Diary and
analyse his daily
routine.

b) Do you think, he
manages his
time effectively?

c) What advice
would you give
him to ensure he
has a balanced
day?
Technique 1: Priority “To do”
list
• Do you make “to do” lists?

• It can be helpful to put down the time you think it will take
you to complete each task.

• Often, we underestimate how long something will take. This

can make us feel like we have failed and so we just give up
on our list.
DRAFTING YOUR TO DO LIST
• What is wrong with this to-do list?
DRAFTING YOUR TO DO LIST
• How many tasks is this
really?

• How do I know how much

time it will take?

• When do I take a break?

OPTIMISING YOUR TO
DO LIST
To make your to-do list more effective :

• Prioritise
• Monitor progress
 PRIORITISE
For each task first think how important it is:

• How strongly is it related to my main (study) goals?

• How strongly is it related to my health and wellbeing?

PRIORITISE
For each task think how urgent it is:

• How soon is the deadline?

• How flexible is the deadline?

 PRIORITISE
• Arrange all your to-do list tasks
into a Priority Matrix.

• This matrix was developed by

President Eisenhower, it shows
how to sort tasks according to
how urgent and important
they are.
YOUR OWN PRIORITY MATRIX
• Fill in your own Priority Matrix.
• Your tutor will provide you with a template. Or you can
download this from Blackboard:

Learning Materials > Week 4 > Eisenhower Matrix

• Have a look at the example on the next slide to guide you.

EXAMPLE MATRIX
 COMPARE
• Compare your Priority Matrix with your partner.
Remember! You can improve your own ability to prioritise by
comparing with others in a similar situation.
MONITORING PROGRESS
• Another method to maximise your ‘To Do Lists’ is by
adding a 'Doing list’ and a ‘Done list’.
• You can monitor the progress of your tasks electronically
on a Kanban Board.
• You can also use a weekly planner.
• Have a look at the planner provided by your tutor.
Technique 2: The Pomodoro
Technique
“This is a technique to help you improve your focus
and work without distractions. It was invented by
Francesco Cirillo and is named after the tomato
shaped timer he used to time his working sessions”
(DMU library 2020).

How does it work?...

Take notes whilst you watch: The

https://youtu.be/Ny1d4o2U7LU POMODORO
technique
Now compare your notes with a partner. Have you
noted down the same information?
THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE EXPLAINED
Work in short but regular intervals and reward yourself with a break
“Using the Pomodoro technique can help you focus
on one task at a time, this way you can work through
your to do list and make progress. (As you know
when you are going to have a break you are more
likely to maintain your focus).”

(DMU Library, 2022)

The Pomodoro Technique
• Have you ever used this technique? Was it useful?

• Do you think this technique could help you?

• What kind of tasks would it be most useful for?

DEFINITION

What word is defined below?

Oxford Learner’s Dictionary

entry:

pr_cr_st_n_t__n /prə
ˌkræstɪˈneɪʃn/
noun [uncountable] (formal,
disapproving)
the act of delaying something
that you should do, usually
because you do not want to do
it
ANSWER

What word is defined below?

Oxford Learner’s Dictionary

entry:

procrastination /prə
ˌkræstɪˈneɪʃn/
noun [uncountable] (formal,
disapproving)
the act of delaying
something that you should
do, usually because you do
not want to do it
DISCUSSION
In small groups, discuss the following
questions:
1. When is the last time you procrastinated about
something?
2. What do you think caused you to procrastinate?
3. What are the different types of procrastination? Make a
list.
FORMS OF PROCRASTINATION

• Ignoring the task, hoping it will go away

• Underestimating how long it will take/overestimating your
abilities and resources
• Telling yourself that poor performance is okay/insisting on
perfection
• Doing something else that is not very important
• Believing that repeated “minor” delays will not hurt you
• Talking about it rather than doing it
• Putting all your work into one part of the task
• Becoming paralyzed when having to make choices
 HOW TO OVERCOME
PROCRASTINATION
How can procrastination be avoided? Make a list.
• Compare your list with a partner.
HOW TO OVERCOME
PROCRASTINATION
• Win the mental battle by committing to being on time.
• Set and keep deadlines.
• Organize, schedule and plan.
• Divide a large task into smaller ones.
• Find a way to make a game of your work or make it fun.
• Reward yourself when you are done.
• Tell your friends and roommates to remind you of
priorities and deadlines.
• Learn to say “no” to time wasters.
Did you think of any others?
 ANTI-DISTRACTION
APPS
• There are several apps that can help you to both organise
and motivate you to study.
• These apps can also be used to stop distractions and avoid
procrastination.
• Can you name any of the apps below? Discuss with a
partner.
ANTI-DISTRACTION
APPS
Forest Hold
Phone app blocker that • Incentives and
gamifies your work schedule
rewards for not using
your phone!
Cold Turkey
Desktop website blocker
with built-in timers Pomotodo
• Supports the
Share suggestions for Pomodoro time
other anti distraction apps management
that you use/ know with
your group.
technique
 LESSON
REVIEW
Reflect on what you have learned in the lesson. Which emoji
reflects how you feel about achieving each lesson aim…

• Be Introduced to Effective Time Management

• Analyse Two Time Management Techniques
• Understand Procrastination & strategies to avoid it
 HOMEWORK
• Complete the online Time Management course using the
Library website
• Review one of the time management techniques you have
studied in the lesson.
• Implement it before your next SS1 class (you may wish
to use it for studying your subject modules). You will be
asked to discuss your experience in your next class.
 CATCH-UP

If you missed weeks 1-3:

• You can watch the lesson recording videos on
Blackboard
• You can attend the catch-up session on Thursday at 5
PM Online (Use the link on Blackboard under
announcements).
FURTHER READING
• The Study Skills Handbook Online:
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/dmu/detail.action?doc
ID=6234945

• Time Management Student Resources:

https://library.dmu.ac.uk/CLASSResources/TM

• How to manage your time more effectively- A TED

Talk:
https://youtu.be/iDbdXTMnOmE