Handling Your Schedule

Comments by Carl Wenning

 

Students often complain that their instructors expect too much from them -- too much time, too much effort. From the student perspective that might be so, but from the instructor perspective there is often a strong desire to set high expectations for learning. All too often students find themselves procrastinating or wasting time, and when it comes to deadlines all of sudden it's "too much to do, not enough time." Suddenly, its the instructor's fault. In an ideal world this might be so, but more often than not it is the failure of the student to appropriately manage his or her schedule effectively. Consider the following pointers as you progress through the remainder of your course work so that you won't have to "feel the pinch" and can learn more as you progress toward graduation.

  1. Admit your limitations -- Not everyone is capable of successful Herculean efforts all the time; people often fail when they try this once too often. Neither does everyone possess the genius of Albert Einstein; sometimes you'll really have to work hard if you are to learn as much as you can.
  2. Get and use a schedule planner -- Some people like to purchase schedule planners; others write out things in a table on a computer. Which ever process you use, become organized enough so that you know what your schedule is in a glance. This planner should include such things as projects, assignments, and test dates.
  3. Create and use lists -- It's not a bad idea to create daily lists of the things you have to do, not just that day, but in the short term. People who do this are known to rarely miss a deadline, or get caught by supervise that list, and do the smallest tasks first so that they won't get in the way of the larger tasks. Cross off items as you complete them; this gives a sense of accomplishment.
  4. Don't procrastinate -- Don't put off undesirable tasks; this only makes the situation worse. Not only do you still have to complete the task, you must now do so in much less time. This is a combination for failure. Rather, work ahead and complete projects ahead of deadline. Avoid the approach, "Put off until tomorrow those things that can be done tomorrow." Keep up a steady work pace.
  5. Work a little each day on big projects -- Not everyone likes to work on a project all day long. Variety truly is the spice of life; take this into account as you plan your work schedule. Big projects can appear almost trivial if an effort is made to work on a project just a little bit each day. For instance, writing a 365-page book might seem like a monumental task, but it represents only one page per day.
  6. Dedicate yourself to the work -- When you are working on a project, do that and nothing else. A few hours of dedicated time is all that is usually needed to get the job done. Mixing work and pleasure can prolong the task, and draw your attention away from the work at hand.
  7. Find a good place to work -- It's next to impossible to get any significant work done if you are constantly being interrupted. Interruptions cause breaks in your work, distract you from returning to it, and make it more difficult to pick up the work after you have left it. Study and do course assignments in a place where your work won't have to constantly compete with distracters.
  8. Know the expectations -- In the PTE program expectations for various projects are generally pretty clear, even to the point of having a grading rubric provided so that you will know exactly what the instructor expects. Make use of these rubrics to objectively assess your own work.
  9. Strive to understand -- If you don't have a good understanding of what is expected of you before you begin your work, then you'd be best to put off that work until such time as you know what is going on. For instance, writing an essay before you know much about the content is futile. What you write will be disorganized and probably represent just a jumble of opinions rather than an informed and well organized representation of what you should know.
  10. If you don't get right the first time -- Take advantage of the PTE's Student Assessment-as-Learning policy. That is, if you hand in your work before the due date, the instructor will review the work and return it to you with recommendations for revisions. Do this until you get it write. Learn from your mistakes, and take advantage of your instructor's willingness to help you learn a subject well.
  11. First things first -- Sometimes jobs interfere with work; don't let this happen. You are a student first, and this should be your full-time occupation. If you are financially strapped, then take only a part-time job, but don't over do it. Consider taking more time to complete your studies if getting good grades is going to be compromised by work. Alternatively, seek loans or grants. You can generally earn money at the rate of $5-$7 per hour as a student; as a teaching professional that will amount to $20-$25 per hour to start. I'd rather pay bills from money made with my profession than from my work as a student.
  12. Commit yourself -- Perhaps the single most important thing to do well in school is to make a strong commitment to learn and do well. Commit to do your work without compromise.Vow to learn from others, never from your own mistakes. Education is cheaper than experience.