Педагогические науки / 2. Проблемы подготовки специалистов

Agadzhanova R. M.

Kharkiv National University of Economics, Ukraine

SOME PECULIARITIES OF TIME MANAGEMENT

IN THE CONTEXT OF DISTANCE EDUCATION

There are millions of people, all over the world, who study completely alone – by correspondence course, by radio, purely from books. Many adults study alone because they are housebound or cannot afford the time to study at a college. Studying alone requires a high degree of self-reliance and self-discipline. It also requires the ability to study effectively. By learning to study effectively students will be acquiring new skills which will help them in all aspects of life. For them the ability to analyze information and extract relevant facts, to manage their time effectively and to get to know themselves sufficiently well that they know how much work they can cope with at any given time, will all be drawn upon after they finish their period of study and are making their way in the world in whatever capacity. Developing self-discipline can be a great asset in any area of life. Learning to study effectively is an excellent way to start.

Distance education, as it is called, has been available to students for well over 100 years and its advantages have been extensively researched and documented. It is possible to list the following advantages of distance learning:

1. Freedom from the “straitjacket of the lecture hall” – students do not have to learn to a timetable, spend time attending lectures or devote time to other college activities. They can spend what time they have available purely on study.

2. Ability to study whenever and wherever you desire. The student studying at home can choose the time and place to study.

3. Freedom inherent in the individuality of the distance student’s situation. There is a great sense of freedom in being your own master, without interference, as long as you do not abuse that freedom by failing to stick to the targets and schedules you have set yourself.

4. Student not bound by the learning pattern of a learning group. You can learn by your own methods and can work at your own pace, which may be faster than a group would allow.

5. A distance student’s needs are not subservient to the needs of a learning group. You do not have to consider anyone but yourself and, therefore, if you want to go more deeply into a subject you may do so, because you are not constrained by others who might wish to move on to something different.

It should be emphasized that students need to organize themselves, manage their time, set targets, and motivate themselves to succeed whether they are studying alone or in a group. The lone student, or distance student, requires more self-discipline, but that is compensated for by a greater determination and a stronger motivation. Certainly, to know at the end of the day that you have achieved a goal all by yourself is extremely satisfying and equips you with one life skill which is of inestimable value – that of self-sufficiency.

By now, the importance of organization and time management for distance students is obvious. At first it is hard to be disciplined and think through the plan for each day, but after a while it should become second nature. These skills can be carried over into whatever students do after they complete their course of study, and they will find that this self-discipline will be of benefit to them, their family and their future employers.

Distance students are autonomous learners who believe in their ability to learn and to self-direct or manage their learning. To succeed they have to organize themselves first and then organize other people to fit around them. Successful study requires a degree of selfishness. To manage their time autonomous students should list their commitments, set priorities, plan their week, plan their day, group tasks and set targets. To sum up, first distance students should identify their tasks, and then place them in order of priority. Then they have their “targets”. They know when they have to complete certain tasks and what is required to complete them.

To truly manage their time effectively distance students have to look at the tasks that need doing and decide how to handle them. For this they will need the four Ds of self-management. These are: 1. Do it. – This needs to be done immediately. 2. Delegate it. – Not the best use of your time. Pass it on to someone else. 3. Dump it. – Anything that is unimportant now and in the future. Bin it. 4. Defer it. – Something for the 'to do' pile. Come back to it later [1].

When students do manage their time well, they are exceptionally productive, and their stress levels drop. In this article, we are looking at ten of the most common time management mistakes, as well as identifying strategies and tips that students can use to overcome them. These ten mistakes are:

1. Failing to Keep a To-Do List. The trick with using To-Do Lists effectively lies in prioritizing the tasks on the list. Many people use an A - F coding system (A for high priority items, F for very low priorities). Alternatively, it is possible to simplify this by using A through D, or by using numbers.

2. Not Setting Personal Goals. Personal goal setting is essential to managing your time well, because goals give you a destination and vision to work toward. When students know where they want to go, they can manage their priorities, time, and resources to get there.

3. Not Prioritizing. One tool that will help distance students prioritize effectively is the Urgent/Important Matrix. This helps them understand the difference between urgent activities, and important activities. They will also learn how to overcome the tendency to focus on the urgent.

4. Failing to Manage Distractions. If autonomous learners want to gain control of their day and do their best work, it is vital to know how to minimize distractions and manage interruptions effectively. For instance, they should turn off their IM chat when they need to focus, and let people know if they are distracting too often. They should also learn how to improve their concentration, even when they are faced with distractions.

5. Procrastination. Procrastination occurs when students put off tasks that they should be focusing on right now. When learners procrastinate, they feel guilty that they have not started; they come to dread doing the task; and, eventually, everything catches up with them when they fail to complete the work on time. One useful strategy is to tell yourself that you are only going to start on a project for ten minutes. Often, procrastinators feel that they have to complete a task from start to finish, and this high expectation makes them feel overwhelmed and anxious. Instead, it is necessary to focus on devoting a small amount of time to starting. That is all!

6. Taking on too much. Taking on too much is a poor use of students’ time, and it can get them a reputation for producing rushed, sloppy work. To stop this, they should learn the subtle art of saying "yes" to the person, but "no" to the task. This skill helps students assert themselves, while still maintaining good feelings within the group.

7. Thriving on "Busy". It is necessary to slow down, and learn to manage time better.

8. Multitasking. The best thing is to forget about multitasking, and, instead, focus on one task at a time. That way, students will produce higher quality work.

9. Not Taking Breaks. Distance students should not dismiss breaks as "wasting time." Breaks provide valuable down-time, which will enable them to think creatively and work effectively. If it is hard for autonomous students to stop working, they should schedule breaks for themselves, or set an alarm as a reminder.

10. Ineffectively Scheduling Tasks. All people have different rhythms, that is, different times of day when they feel most productive and energetic. Distance students can make best use of their time by scheduling high-value work during their peak time, and low-energy work [2].

To sum up, one of the most effective ways of improving distance students’ productivity is to recognize and rectify time management mistakes. When students take the time to overcome these mistakes, it will make a huge difference in their productivity – and they will also be happier, and experience less stress!

References:

1. Hearn W. Time Management Article [Electronic version] / W. Hearn. – On line – http://www.business-personal-coaching.com/time-management-article.html

2. 10 Common Time Management Mistakes. Avoiding Common Pitfalls [Electronic version]. – On line – www.mindtools.com/pages/article/time-management-mistakes.htm