Guidelines on how to control your time
1. Monitor your time
As someone with faith, ensure that you allocate time for your spiritual enhancement. All Muslims are required to pray five times in a day. Keeping to each prayer time is a good way of disciplining oneself.
Time is a fixed income. Plan each day down to the second because once time is wasted, you can never get it back.
For Muslims in Malaysia
According to a hadith, he five praying times is like a river that runs in front of one’s house in which one bathes five times a day. Hence it will help to cleanse one’s soul.
2. Reflect on how you spend your time
Regard your time as an investment given by God to do good deeds. Be aware of when you are wasting your time. Know when you are productive. Knowing how you spend your time should aid you in planning and predicting project completion
Control your time. Don’t let it control you
Self-audit (reflecting what good and bad things one has done during the day) and a time-audit before you go to sleep.
Schedule fifty-minute blocks of study. After one block of study, it is advisable to rest for fve minutes by having a drink or talking to your family. Three blocks of fifty-minute study is more effective and relaxing than a continuous two-and-a-half hour study.
Plan to use ‘dead time’ – e.g. use your mealtime in the room to listen to beneficial programmes such as religiois and motivational programmes.
Schedule as much study time as possible during daylight hours. Avoid sleeping late and have a good sleep.
Schedule a weekly review to ensure that you understand and remember the entire topics that have been taught for the week.
Note :
Self-imposed time wasters :
- visiting friends
- talking on the phone
- listening to musicy skills
- watching tv
- games, e-mail, etc
- daydreaming
- not being able to say no
- worrying
- gossiping
- poor reading / study skills
- poor concentration
- lack of planning
(AAC Study Tips, Ohio University
3. Have a ‘To study list’
Have a daily / weekly planner. Depending on your posting, identify the major areas that you have to cover. Plan your study group discussions. Write down the common cases seen and the essential points that need to be known.
Identify gaps in your knowledge as you see the common cases or topics of the day during lectures or tutorials. This is called ‘ gap analysis’. Make sure that two things are done in one day : ( 1 ) preview of upcoming lectures and ( 2 ) review of lectures given on that day.
Checklist for effective note taking :
Prepare by reading assingned text and reviewing notes from the previous lecture.
Keep yourself alert by sitting where you can concentrate on the speaker.
* Listen for and record the topic of the day’s lecture
* Write more than lecturer puts on the board or overhead
* Ensure the subtopics of the lecture are easy to see in your notes
* Include examples and significant details
* Organise your notes to show the relative importance of the ideas
* Write legibly to make the notes easy to study later
* Edit notes for accuracy and legibility after class as soon as possible
* Actively review your notes by predicting exam questions from them
(AAC Study Tip, Ohio University
4. Always know what’s ahead for the day
Always go to sleep knowing you’re prepared for tomorrow, be it lectures or tutorials. Have a to-do list for the day. A small planner will help.
The Daily Plan: The To-Do List
Planning your day takes very little time and can really pay off. You begin by listing all the things you need to do for day. Then you decide which are most important to your daily goals. Keep your list with you to stay on track.
To make your ‘to-do’ list :
1. Use a 3x5 card or small notebook
2. List your activities / tasks for the day
3. Prioritise your list:
- Write an A by your must do’s – the tasks will help you meet your stated goals
- Write a B by your should do’s – the jobs that are important but could wait a day
- Write a C by your could do’s – easy or fum things that really can wait.
4. Do the A’s first
For example :
* Revise Physiology A3
* Review lecture A1
* Call home / get new room key B1
* Preview lecture A2
* Check e-mail / Friendster C
(AAC Study Tip, Ohio University
5. Have a long-term planner
Use a monthly chart so that you can always plan ahead. Long-term planners also serve to remind you to plan your free time consrructively. Plan your holidays well. It can be used to cover the gaps in your knowledge. It can mean going for elective posting or get some attachments to certain clinical departments.
The detailed weekly schedule
Making a detailed schedule of your week may seem to confining. However, knowing when you can get things done actually gives you more time to make changes.
To make your weekly schedule :
1. Enter all of your fixed obligations – classes, meetings, meals, work, exercise, sleeping, tv, etc
2. Schedule your study hours with these in mind :
- be realistic
- think of being a student as a full-time job
- break big assingnments into manageable parts
- complete assingnments before you are too tired
- remember that short study sessions can be more effective than marathons
- use the time between classes to review notes or prepare for your next class.
- study your hardest class first to avoid putting it off
- review your lecture notes as soon as possible
- use weekend time to catch up and plan
3. Schedule your free time. Prioritise naps, socializing, exercise, etc. Planning recreation is as important as planning other activities.
4. Try for the balnce between study, work and recreation.
(AAC Study Tip, Ohio University
The Quarter Schedule :
Remember, the quarter schedule keeps you tuned in to the big events in your life. It will remind you of quizzes, projects, exams, papers and other events.
The schedule will keep you from being overwhelmed at the last minute.
To make a quarter schedule :
1. Get out the syllabus from each of your classes.
2. On your quarter schedule, enter the date of each quiz, paper due, exam. Etc
3. Enter important events ; trips out of town, co-curricular activities
4. Put your quarter schedule in a prominent place where you can see it.
5. Update it when necessary.
(AAC Study Tip, Ohio University
(How to become a good & successful medical student; Muhaya Hj Mohamad)
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