Ex Smokers will understand this better than most: It is one thing to make a plan, and quite another to stick to it. Time management is not only about a schedule. It is largely about Self-management, a.k.a. WILL POWER. Just like quitting smoking—or anything else—there are many tools to help trigger that will power and hold to the plan. But first, a plan needs to be made.

It needs to be a realistic plan and should begin with two lists: “Real life” and “Assignments.” I have found it is best to start with real life needs, then return to school deadlines. 

Things to include:

1. Sleep! Do not forget sleep! *I have said before, in post three, that some sleep, no matter how small is always better than none. Plan for a normal amount and adjust when needed. Just remember that nothing is done well if you are barely conscious.

2. Commuting;

3. Making and eating food.

4. Administrative life things like laundry, grocery shopping, banking, etc.;

5. At least a half-day of social-relax-do nothing time…hopefully.

Now, return to your study needs. *LOOK AT YOUR SYLLABI!* Answer these questions:

1. What is due the most immediately?

2. What large projects are on the horizon, and when are they due?

3. Where do they need to be conducted? *Believe it or not, this one can really change the plan. See how important a syllabus is! (Visit post 2)

4. What do these assignments require (research, charts, interviews, etc.)? Keep in mind that the larger projects will require several individual segments of time to work on the assignment; I like to call them “visits.” The number of visits will, obviously, differ from project to project (and teacher to teacher). I will go into more detail on research and writing sessions another time. There is simply too much to share for one post.

Take all these deadlines from every class and write them in one, physical planner and make a daily agenda. Click here to see an example. Unless you function exclusively in electronic format with buzzers and alarms, writing it in one place allows you to see it consolidated. Plus, every teacher will tell you that the act of writing engages our memory more than typing.

As the days pass, your priorities will shift. The fun part is that you get to check things off as done! Yay! It also means other pesky deadlines are approaching. Intersperse larger project visits with smaller, immediately due homework. Breaking up the monotony of research is the best way to maintain sanity. That is the balance of time management. 

After getting home, the evening should go something like this: snack break, find an article, do your language course homework, read the previously found article, have dinner, shower, write a one page response paper on the thing you read on the train ride home, prepare your bag and lunch for the next day, think over that next day’s plan, check if there is anything else that will bug you when you are trying to sleep, set alarm—say a little prayer if it helps you sleep—if necessary, watch an episode of something on Netflix to decompress for about twenty minutes, and lights out. Notice how I included a reading assignment during the commute, and there was lots of space between the longer, more taxing components like reading and writing (If you are unable to read during your commute, my apologies. I know many people who drive everywhere and manage to be successful. It is not a huge loss). Everyone is required to take a language course at some point and the corresponding homework exercises are generally shorter until more advanced levels that require more time consuming translation. Course selection is another balancing act.   

The above schedule was several actual evenings of my sophomore year. Variations were caused by changing courses and priorities. The snack breaks are rewards for productivity the way a nicotine patch is for abstaining from cigarettes. It took approximately five hours and was not a work day. Work days require more forethought. If balanced correctly, work days allow a break from study. It’s an incentive to stay on track and still feel good about yourself. A half-day of free time is the best support for will power. Looking forward to that is only possible when you are also free from worry, pressure, and guilt.

Success is built on a stable, realistic itinerary. It should propel you forward with the least effort. A clear agenda provides ease. Plan first, lay it out in easy to follow steps on an easy to read planner. Include the healthiest sleep and eating habits possible AND a reward system. The most important part of good time management balance, however, is recognizing when it is not maintainable. An unmanageable plan—perhaps fortunately—will tell on itself quickly and epically. If the worst happens—total breakdown—talk to your teachers, ask for help, learn from your failure. 

The instructions inside the Nicotine Patch say, “If you buy a pack and smoke a cigarette, forgive yourself and throw out the pack.” Grades and hard work are almost always salvageable provided you are willing to deal with it, i.e., fess up. Sometimes, it’s the plan that fails you, not only your will power. I reiterate the quote from my first post. “Cries for help are frequently inaudible.”  —Tom Robbins, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. Make them audible! Then, try again.

I added a list of proper sleep hygiene rules given to me by an actual psychiatrist to EXTRAS. These are the rules for perfect-scenario-life-sleep habits. I have never met anyone who could follow these rules 100%. I could not give up my morning coffee, but I have been able to incorporate more than I thought I could. See what works and what won't.

May nerd-dom abound!

Katrina pavlovich

Quote-of-the-day

"How many contradictions! Eh! If I loaded my wagon all on the same side, I'd tumble it over." --Remy de Gourmont, Philosophic Nights in Paris,: Being Selections from Promenades Philosphiques

Overview: Pan's Labyrinth Directed by Guillermo del toro

Like most fairy tales, Pan's Labyrinth is scarier, grosser, and unexpectedly harsh. Ofelia is given three tasks with a deadline. Each task tests her in some way that adds to the overall tests of conviction and bravery. In the scene depicted, she is given a task that would have been a simple race--get back to the human world before the hour glass runs out--if she had not failed in a test of will power. 

The grotesque appearance of this monster represents the extreme consequences for disobeying Pan's rules. The only rule she was given was ‘don’t eat anything.’ In many legends, eating fairy food dooms the eater to remain in fairyland forever. Del Toro found a more grotesque, though balanced, method of retribution. Ofelia is not warned why eating is forbidden, or that there is a creature waiting for her to falter. Her lack of restraint produces one of the most memorable scenes in all my movie watching life.

As always, the title and picture are links to see for yourself. No cheating by just watching the clip or it won't mean as much! Start from the beginning. Perhaps that will be my next Topic-of-the-day.