AboutJan Hayner Expertise I can give you tips and hints on how to use your time efficiently, shortcuts to make this possible and the importance that great time management can have on every aspect of your life, home, job and family relationships.
Experience I am a Professional Organizer and one of my specialties is 'time managment'. I am an advocate of the saying "Work Smarter-Not Harder' and I show you ways to accomplish this through smart and efficient time management.
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Education/Credentials School of hard knocks,
6 years of being a Professional Organizer
Expert: Jan Hayner Date: 2/27/2008 Subject: Motivation
Question Hi there, I was hoping that you might help me with my school work. I am 19 years old and it is the
second semester of my first year of college. I find that I am not really doing that well so far. I do
homework and study sporadically just when I can get myself to do it. Most of the time for me it's like
pulling teeth getting myself to study or do homework. I was basically the same way in high school
where I would procrastinate always and only do any real work right before a deadline when it became
evident to me that I would regret it if I didn't do the work. So, now that I am in college, I find that this
really doesn't cut it anymore. Most classes don't really have any homework and might have 3 tests for
the entire class and I can't afford to procrastinate until the night before because that doesn't work. I
wanted to ask you if I am just not working hard enough like everyone else is or is it because I am not
working smartly and am wearing myself out by working too hard in the wrong way? It always seems to
me that everyone else has control of their working habits, that they can just turn on their focusing
skills whenever they need to. So far I find it very difficult to focus for long periods of time or even get
myself to start. Tomorrow I have a midterm for one of my classes and I have barely started studying, I
know that I won't do well. Is there any strategy you can tell me about that will motivate me and let me
enjoy working at least a little?
Thank you very much.
Answer Hi Gennady;
Ok, here is your 'strategy'; decide what it is that you want to become in life and why you spent all of that money going to college if your not interested in learning anything. This sounds a little 'strong' right? But it is the truth to a certain degree.
This is your first year of college, one that gave you the opportunity to get away from mom and dad and to spread your wings, the only problem is that you don't have any idea 'WHY'.
WHY did you decide to go to college?
WHY is it that you are there but don't want to study? Are you afraid that you are going to miss something or is it too hard for you to retain or do?
WHY do you think that the other kids have the stick-to-ativeness to buckle down and do their homework and you don't?
WHY are other geared to improving their life and knowledge and your not?
These are all serious questions that you need to ask yourself. It will tell you if 'college' is the place for you or if you are better off going to a tech school and learn a trade. College isn't for everyone and there is nothing wrong with that, but whatever it is that you choose to do in your life, make sure that you are the best at it that you can possibly be.
Now, some studying hints:
Take excellent notes in class. College is listening to teachers, they have a habit of saying what will be on a test, if you 'listen'. Hints like; this is important, something to remember, an important fact; is something that should be written in your notes and underlined, you will be asked about it.
When you take tests, make sure that you make the corrections and keep the paper (no matter how bad it is), you can use this to study for the next quarter or midterm test.
Reread chapter questions to refresh your mind.
Outline a chapter or unit, so that you know all of the important facts. Those facts plus daily notes will be all you will need to study for a major test.
You can have fun in college, but set a time when it is enough for the day, go to your room and hit the books. You know how much time it is going to take you for homework, so you have to schedule it, the same way that you schedule other things in life. Then 'stick to your schedule'.
Remember that you came there to get an education so you can get a terrific high paying job, have a degree in order to build on and to improve yourself. The reason the rest of them can turn on their studying is that they are there for the same reason, only they are focused and know what it is they want to do in life and what they need to do in order to get there. There is a time for partying and having fun, but there is a time for the purpose of you being there.
See about joining some study groups or maybe you can start one. When my daughter went, there wasn't a group for what she needed, but a lot of the girls in the dorm were having the same problems as her (buckling down and getting to work), so they started a group.
They all met at a certain time, every night to study. If someone didn't show up, they went and got them. Everyone grades started to soar. They stuck to doing their homework, had friends to ask questions to, and get comments from and now they had become a close knit focused, goal setting group of girls.
You said that you only do REAL work, right before a deadline. Move the time frame of the deadline up. If it is due on Thursday, your goal is to know have it ready on Tuesday. WHY? Because this will give you time to put it away on Tuesday night, reread and add to it on Wednesday, so it is perfect on Thursday. If you are going to hand something in, get the highest grade possible for it!
If you are studying for a test that is on Thursday, Your goal is now to have the majority of your studying done by Tuesday. WHY? So you can listen to what others are studying and decide if there is something that you should look over again and add to your study log. Talk to other people, find out what they are studying, what notes they have that you might have missed, get all of the information that you can and you will be prepared.
It is like the game of 'who knows the most and who is going to get the best job'. Make sure that your name is at the top of the list. It is a major competition to see who is going to come out on top.
I hope I gave you some ideas that you can use and that it got you thinking. You sound like you really care about your future and you do see the points that need improving. I hope that I gave you some ideas to improve those. Keep asking questions, you can always find bits and pieces of information that will improve your life.
Happy Organizing,
Jan Hayner
