GEP August 27th

Attendance and Announcements

  • Attendance taken; class activities planned after attendance.
  • On-campus job fair tomorrow at the Rec Center, 11:00–14:30. Opportunities from nursing/medical through Mercy and COST; business attire not strictly required; you may meet future employers and learn prerequisites.

One-on-One Appointments and Group Formation

  • Sign up for a one-on-one appointment; some slots still available. Missing the slot can affect your grade.
  • Form groups for the group presentation; many slots still open. If you have issues (finding a room, finding a teammate) contact the instructor by August 31.

This Week’s Assignment and Next Week

  • Assignment: Goal Setting and Time Management; deadline updated in Brightspace to give more planning time; submit after today’s lecture.
  • Next week: Labor Day — no class or on-campus activities; online activities posted (chapter video ~30 minutes, multiple videos) and a quiz on that chapter.
  • Chapter focus: Money Matters, Gaining Financial Literacy; read the weekly course syllabus for expectations.

Student Support Tools

  • Sofia is offering GroupMe support; she will share a QR code to join a help group. Updates will be posted in Brightspace today and tomorrow.

Today’s Topic: Positive Time Management

  • Positive Time Management (PTM) helps handle fixed academic commitments and non-academic life goals with a structured approach.
  • The 24/7 constraint: everyone has the same time in a week; plan within those 168 hours.
    • 24 hours/day×7 days/week=168 hours/week24\ \text{hours/day} \times 7\ \text{days/week} = 168\ \text{hours/week}
  • Goal as a student: prioritize academic success while balancing social and personal activities.

PTM Components ( acronyms and meanings )

  • P: Prioritizing tasks
  • O: Operating efficiently
  • S: Scheduling time
  • I: Itemizing a to-do list
  • P: Tackling procrastination
  • I: Ignoring distractions
  • V: Visualizing success
  • P: Celebrating achievement / enjoying the outcome

Time Investment and Scheduling

  • Educators recommend investing at least double the time per credit hour: for each credit hour, 22 hours per week.
    • Example: 15 credit hours×2=30 hours/week15\ \text{credit hours} \times 2 = 30\ \text{hours/week}
  • Week-to-week variability exists; plan for busier periods (e.g., finals) and lighter weeks.
  • Scheduling tools:
    • Weekly/daily calendars or planners, time-management apps, Microsoft Outlook, Google Calendar.
    • Personal approach: some use Excel for a granular day-by-day breakdown; others rely on calendar apps for notifications.
    • Tips: color-code tasks (e.g., green for study, red for challenging courses) to visualize priorities.
  • To-do lists:
    • Maintain a single list of tasks with names, estimated times, and deadlines.
    • Some tasks require more attention; allocate energy accordingly.
    • Keep the list in a place you actually use (phone, planner, computer).
  • Procrastination:
    • Common causes: indecision, distractions, reluctance to ask for help.
    • Tactics: tell yourself you can absolutely complete it; break tasks into smaller steps; seek help when needed; start now rather than later.
  • Distractions:
    • Main sources: phone, TV, social media.
    • Mitigation tips: remove phone from study area for blocks of time; use library or quiet spaces with set hours; choose study times that minimize interruptions (consider family responsibilities).
  • Visualizing success:
    • Imagine presenting or completing a task; plan concrete steps to reach that outcome; use affirmations like “I can do this.”
  • Celebrate achievement:
    • Recognize progress and, if desired, share success to gain positive reinforcement.
  • End goal: maintain an up-to-date to-do list and stay on top of assignments and quizzes.

Practical Planning and Reading Suggestions

  • Practical mapping of 168 hours per week; adapt to personal rhythm and constraints.
  • Recommended readings for deeper time-management strategies:
    • "How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life" by Alan Lakein
    • "Best Practices of Time Management" by John Cooper
  • SMART goals (to be discussed): Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound.

Quick Reminder

  • Stay tuned for additional slides on goal setting and SMART goals; a concise goal-setting framework will be reviewed further in upcoming materials.