Managing Time as an Adult Learner - Essay Example

Managing Time as an Adult Learner This paper is fully concentrated on the problem of organizing time. The question of successful time management is arisen though this work. It is examined here how can plan day activities and tasks common student. It is mentioned in the paper that learning process is completely hard and requires a lot of efforts, but time management can be the basis for achieving success in the process of studying in high educational establishments. The straightforward instructions and clear steps for proper guiding or time and organizing the day plan are contained in the paper. It is argued how to spend your time profitably and how to dispose the day activities. How to manage time as an adult learner is the main point of my work. Literature review and corresponding examination of information are used to reveal the right steps and to achieve the disposed aim. Key words: time management, priorities, day plan. Modern society concerns as a busy one. We all have a lot of work to do and tasks to fulfill. Any occupation requires some appropriate skills and materials for being executed accurately and successfully. Still, the one thing which is considered to be in common for any kind of work or leaning is time. Forsyth (2013) names time as a rigid taskmaster. And it is clear that almost every person has problems with organizing their time and day plan. That is why various hurdles and spellings are appeared. Consequently, they influenced all spheres of person’s life and may lead to unsavory and offensive problems. Time management is pretended to be a hard issue, especially for the students, as this section of society is young and inexperienced yet. Going to college or university is rather serious and deep decision, which acquires a lot of assignments to fulfill and problems to deal with. A person starts to live an adult life in this time. It is clear that educational establishment gives a lot of information to learn for student. What is more, people while process of learning need to elaborate a big number of different research papers and other tasks, so the process of learning is rather hard and demands a lot of efforts, a big desire and of course time. Dumbauld (2011) argues that a huge amount of students are involved to part-time job and they are obliged to combine studying and working. Hence, an appropriate control on your time and relevant allocation of one’s tasks for the day is extremely important for every student. Organizing your time in a pertinent way and guiding it as an adult learner called time management. There are some reserved ways how to achieve this goal. Dumbauld (2011) suggests eight tips of time management for adult collage students but it can be successfully used for everyone. First and foremost the one should know its priorities. Forsyth (2013) notes that the best way fulfill all tasks successfully is to concentrate your time and energy on antecedent issues, but before that make a firm decision on what is the most relevant and essential task for this time. Your priorities should be divided in a clever way and should be ordered accurately. It is suggested to make a list of further activities a person need to delegate or to fulfill necessarily. Priorities of high importance should be marked firstly while low priorities should go next. Each day you may reconfigure this task list and it is allowed to reward yourself for the execution of important errands. The second issue is work time. The matter is that every person knows him/herself and is familiar to its habits and day rules so can successfully choose a suitable time for realization of all assignment which is planned for the day. It should be remembered that the hardest tasks require a lot of energy and efforts so the appropriate time for this task should be chosen. If you are certain that you are a morning person, so it is better to put the most relevant tasks for the morning time, but for those whose brains is the most productive in the second part of the day it will be good to order hard tasks for that exact time. Health is considered to be the third point. It may be a basis for your time management. A person should memorize that feel good is of the high importance. If you really want to be successful in your learning and cope with all given tasks you should keep an eye on your health. It is suggested to provide your mind with a rest and interchange the day activities for brain computer not to be overloaded. Also the good sleep is rather essential. Be sure that you sleep enough and it is better to include your sleep to priorities, because lack of it leads to stress and health problems. You may feel tired if you do not sleep enough, so you will not be able to fulfill all affairs which are planned correctly. Building of flexibility is the next point. The matter is that you should make your schedule flexible for the unforeseen obstacles which may occur in your life. Hence, some extra time should be included in your day plan as different situations may happen. The next issue is small tasks. It is obvious small tasks are always given to student. You may be required to review notes from class, or to read few pages instructions, or have a meet with academic advisor, or any other little thing that should be accomplished. A student may do it in spaces between more relevant commitments. For example, an email may be sent on a bus ride, a reading of a paragraph can be processing while having a lunch. Also you should remember that exam time is the special period of your learning. A preferential attention should be paid to learning in this date. It is the period of survival, so your relatives and friends should be aware of that issue in your life. They may provide you with the support and backing in that rather hard time. The next point is celebration time. You should celebrate your well done job and feel proud for the submission of a paper or a good grade for the subject for example. A student should clearly realize his/her merits and make a reward for these affairs. The last issue is compromise. There is an extreme lack of time for accomplishing all your work successfully sometimes. And some affairs may be done in not exactly the way you want it to fulfill. Still, you need to memorize that you are in the process of studying and you are not be totally strict to yourself. Compromise should be found in your inner motives and perspectives firstly. What may be added to this list is the ways of learning according to the Felder and Soloman. Learners are divided into active and reflective, sensing and intuitive, visual and verbal. Each of these classifications is based on peculiar features of a person and its ways of perception information. That is why being familiar with this information may help learner to find the best and quickest way of learning and memorizing information. All in all every student should remember that there are only twenty four hours in one day and it is completely hard to control every minute and make a prosperous day plan for not to spoil even a second. Still, a good time management is possible and it is an essential point in the process of your studying. To achieve success in accomplishing of your daily tasks you need to know how to organize your time effectively and productively. Reference List: Beth Dumbauld, 8 Tips for Adult College Students, June 27, 2011, Date accessed April 18, 2014. Retrieved from http://www.straighterline.com/online-education-resources/8-time-management-tips-for-adult-college-students/ Galbaith, M. (2002). The Adult Education Professor as Mentor: A means to Enhance Teaching and Learning, The New York Journal of Adult Learning, Journal Number 1, Volume 1 Nilson, L.B. (2010). Teaching at its best: a research – based resource for college instructors (3 rd. Ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey –Bass. Felder, R. M., & Soloman, B.A. (n.d.). Index of learning styles. Retrieved from http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html Read More