TIME

Management

This pack is designed

to support learners by
offering techniques
and tips for time
management.
SHAPING FUTURES Day 2 - Time Management

Introduction
to TIME
Management
Time management is all about planning your
day successfully to make the most out of it.
You will need to think about the tasks you need to
complete, your priorities and any commitments you
have already agreed too.
This can be much easier whilst we are in school as we
have a set routine and time dedicated to each subject.
However, during half term and breaks from school it can
be hard to be motivated. This is where we will try to help!
If you manage your time well, you will feel more in
control of your studies, won’t be trying to catch
up and you’ll enjoy your course much more.
Before we start...
This booklet will help Let’s take-a-look at
your time.
you identify:
How much ‘free’ time
1 Your best way to study do you have each
2 How to prioritise week? The answer
3 How to set realistic goals might surprise you!...

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SHAPING FUTURES Day 2 - Time Management

Activity: Create your timetable

In the timetable below fill in when you are busy each week. Think about
all the commitments you have, including school, hobbies, clubs,
part-time work and other responsibilities such as chores. Also think
about any regular plans you make. For example, do you see friends for a
few hours every weekend? Try colour coding this, with one colour
for academic and another for social.
Now, you should easily be able to identify your free time. With this in
mind, let’s look at how we can prioritise our tasks and decide what to
do first!

Revision Timetable
Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

07:00

08:00

09:00

10:00

11:00

12:00

13:00

14:00

15:00

16:00

17:00

18:00

19:00

20:00

21:00

22:00

23:00

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SHAPING FUTURES Day 2 - Time Management

MAKING TIME FOR YOU

When we plan our time it is important to
set aside space for our wellbeing.
We are all individuals and what one person finds relaxing,
another may not.
Try out a few of our suggestions to see what works for you
and schedule some time each day to unwind.

Music - listening
or playing

Reading
Walking

Writing

Drawing
Running

Breathing Meditation Yoga

exercises

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SHAPING FUTURES
YOUR OWN BEST WAY
TO STUDY
Understanding how you study is the
first step to planning your time well.
Activity: Find out your study preferences
Statement A
I like detailed instructions
I do one thing at a time
I prefer everything to be tidy
and organised
I need a set timetable
I prefer to make notes on screen
More A
You respond well to clear
boundaries - you’d benefit
from developing your own
daily timetable!
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Day 2 - Time Management
or Statement B
I like to try things out for myself
I do several things at once
I can cope with things being untidy
I can motivate myself to do things
I like to make notes by hand
More B
You thrive when you’re
creative, so might not like the
structure of a timetable. Why
not try making a to-do-list,
prioritising the important stuff
but including fun things too.
SHAPING FUTURES Day 2 - Time Management

HOW TO PRIORITISE
We recommend make a to-do
list and categorise it into:
ABC Approach
A: Most important
B: Less Important
C: Not that important

Work down the list and get rid of all the Bs by

deciding are they actually As or Cs.
This allows you to visualise your most important
and least important tasks.
Next you will need to estimate of how much
time and effort each task will need.
That’s it! You’ve prioritised your time!
BUT: You should not spend all day on A tasks!
Include time for C tasks - this will spread your
workload equally throughout the day!

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SHAPING FUTURES Day 2 - Time Management

Activity: To do list
Categorise the list into A B C tasks:

To do Priority

Read through lecture notes

before seminar

Get cash out

Mind map ideas for assignment

due in 2 weeks

Go to the gym

Catch up with friends

Email course head about

exam feedback

SETTING
REALISTIC GOALS
1. Find your ‘Einstein Window’ - Your most
productive time of the day. Are you a morning/
afternoon/evening person? Capitalise on your
window by focusing on your most important task
during that time.
2. Keep your ‘to-do’ list with you - Maybe make lists
on your phone or in an app so it is readily available if
you find some time.
3. Reduce interruptions - Let people know when you
are going to be busy and when you’re free to chat.
Very important and links to your ‘Einstein’s Window’.

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SHAPING FUTURES Day 2 - Time Management

Activity: To do list
Keep track of what you want to achieve:

My goal Deadline

Category

Importance

Milestones & steps

1 2 3

Action plan Date

Setbacks Motivation

Your goal achieved on

That all sounds easy right? You’ll be productive for 12 hours a day before we know it!
Wrong! We all face challenges and distractions in everyday life - from social media, cute pets, to
making a snack then eating a full pack of biscuits...? All of these things get in the way of us achieving
our study goals. The trick is identifying what it is that prevents you from getting the job done and
trying your best to remove the distraction.

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SHAPING FUTURES Day 2 - Time Management

CAN YOU WORK

OUT WHAT
DISTRACTS YOU?
For most of us, it is often technology
and the internet - which can be hard
to avoid when you’re studying, huh?
There are lots of useful apps that can
remove these distractions.

Apps

Cold Turkey is an app

which blocks selected
webpages for a fixed
amount of time.
You can set these
restrictions up to repeat
daily or weekly, so you
can always guarantee
distraction free study!

Forest is another
distraction reducing app.
You are rewarded for time
off your phone by earning
an addition to your
virtual forest.
If social media is a distraction for
If you’re a pro at this then you then you may want to try the
you’ll be surrounded by Scouts ‘Switch Off Challenge’.
trees in no time!
This is something that you can do
by yourself, with friends or family
members. Why not challenge
them to ‘switch off’ with you?

www.scouts.org.uk/activities/switch-off-challenge/

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SHAPING FUTURES Day 2 - Time Management

Sleep
When we think about our time it is
important to schedule in rest periods
and plenty of time to wind-down
before we go to bed.
By having good ‘Sleep Hygiene’ we are
able to get a better nights rest and be
more motivated and productive the
following day.
Here are a few helpful tips to use in
your night-time routine.

Tech
Avoid screen time
1-2 hours before
you go to bed

Light
Cover your
window with Smell
dark curtains
Spray lavender oil
over your pillow
before bedtime

Sleep
TIME
Read
Enjoy a good
Caffeine book to calm
Stay away from the mind
coffee/tea 6-8 hours
before bedtime

Relax
Practice yoga,
breathing exercises,
meditation

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SHAPING FUTURES Day 2 - Time Management

Evaluation
As with all new skills, developing
time management will take
practice - don’t expect to be a
pro straight away!
We hope the techniques covered in this resource
will help you on the way to becoming an
organised young person, ready for the next steps
in their life, whatever they may be.
Remember, this is a skill for life. It will be useful
in the short term for your exams and deadlines,
but time management is important in all aspects
in life and will be needed in Higher Education,
jobs and your social life.
So, keep practicing and developing this skill to
make it one of your strengths!

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