Chapter 3 Study Guide - Alijah Washington

Chapter 3 Study Guide - Alijah Washington

Essential Study Skills, 8e

Plan to use your textbook to complete this section of the Study Guide.

I. SKILLFUL TIME MANAGERS

  • Some people resist time-management skills because they do not want to be controlled by a schedule or bound to something that takes away spontaneity.
  • Often people resist becoming time managers due to a lack of time management strategies or patterns and a lack of know-how to change.

A. Time Management with Personality Types

  1. Sensing and Intuition: How You Prefer to Take In Information

    • Students with a(n) Sensing personality preference accept and even embrace creating and following time-management schedules.
    • Students with a(n) Intuition personality preference may find scheduling and using time-management schedules uncomfortable or difficult.

  2. Judging and Perceiving: How You Prefer to Approach or Structure Your Life

    • Students with a(n) Judging personality preference accept and even crave time-management schedules.
    • Students with a(n) Perceiving personality preference tend to be the most resistant to using time-management strategies and schedules.

B. The Pie of Life Idea

  1. The Pie of Life concept helps to monitor time management to achieve goals.

    • It visually represents how much time you dedicate to each of the main areas of your life:
      • School
      • Leisure
      • Other responsibilities

  2. A balanced Pie of Life is not necessarily divided into three equal parts; the size of each slice can vary based on personal priorities and commitments.

C. Strategies for Skilled Time Managers

  1. Skilled time managers rely on their ability to create balanced schedules that organize time and tasks effectively.

    • Well-planned schedules help to increase performance and allow individuals to gain a sense of control.

  2. Creating Better Balance

    • You have two options to balance time:
      • Learn more efficient ways to do things.
      • Use the ABC Method to change the boundaries in your Pie of Life.
    • Poor time management often results in a lack of control or a variety of tasks that are started but not completed.

  3. Prioritize Tasks

    • Trying to multitask can hinder effective task completion. Instead, prioritize tasks or projects according to their importance.
    • The ABC Method assists individuals in organizing tasks based on priority levels.

  4. Create Task Schedules

    • A task schedule is a plan that allocates time for completing specific tasks.

II. SCHEDULES AND STRATEGIES

  • Well-designed schedules serve as road maps through the months of an academic term and through each day, guiding you to take control of your time.

A. Term Schedules

  1. A term schedule is a month-by-month calendar that shows important dates and deadlines for the entire term.

B. Weekly Schedules

  1. A weekly schedule is a detailed plan that serves as a guide for creating a manageable plan for each day of the week.

    • A weekly time-management schedule should be made before engaging in activities.

  2. Five Steps for Creating a Weekly Time Management Schedule

    • Step 1: Identify activities to include.
    • Step 2: Allocate time slots for each activity.
    • Step 3: Set priorities for tasks.
    • Step 4: Create a draft of the weekly schedule.
    • Step 5: Revise and finalize the schedule.

C. Daily Schedules

  1. A daily schedule is a specific list of tasks and activities that you plan to achieve over the course of a day.
    • A daily schedule helps you move through the day efficiently and stay focused.

III. FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION

  • Concentration is the ability to block out external and internal distractors in order to focus on a specific item or task.
    • It requires concerted effort or discipline to maintain focus and manage thoughts and distractions effectively.

A. An Ideal Study Area

  1. An ideal study area is a specific location designated as your place to concentrate and focus on studying effectively.
  2. An ideal study area should help you reduce or eliminate the effects of external or internal distractors.
  3. Lighting:
    • To avoid problems created by poor lighting, ensure there are multiple sources of light in your study area.

B. Essential Concentration or Focusing Strategies

  1. Set Learning Goals

    • Set clear learning goals outlining what you plan to achieve.

  2. Be an Active Learner

    • Active learning is the process of engaging in the learning process rather than working in a detached way.
    • This approach increases focus and helps avoid distractions like sleepiness or disinterest.

  3. Chunk Information

    • Chunking is the process of breaking large assignments or sections of information down into smaller, more manageable units for better memory processing.

  4. Create a Study Ritual

    • A study ritual is a series of activities or a consistent practice that helps you get started quickly on a task.
    • This might include a warm-up activity that prepares your mind for studying.

  5. Use Mental Rehearsal

    • Mental rehearsal is a process of visualizing or creating a mental movie of yourself successfully completing tasks.
    • This technique can replace negative imagery with positive visualizations, enhancing your focus and efficacy.