Day, n. A period of twenty-four hours, mostly misspent. ~Ambrose Bierce

Ahh....time management. It is hard to get motivated, hard to stay motivated and hard to schedule the tings you need to do over the things you'd rather be doing.

I used to be better at managing my time. I used to get more done. That was of course before adding a second child to my life. Now, I "waste" many a hours playing with both my children. Not a waste to me....just what I choose to focus my free time on.

I struggle at work though, keeping motivated. I have to make lists of what I need to do. I have to keep a calendar. I have to schedule time to work on class materials or write grant proposals. If I don't, I'll spend the day checking email and chatting with colleagues.

But, for students, time is a constant reminder of another deadline, another exam, another paper due. It is hard to keep it all straight. First, you have to have a calendar. Electronic is fine, but a paper calendar works just fine. You cannot get things done in time if you don't know when they are due. Second, you cannot procrastinate. I have heard it many times..."If I study too early, I'll forget the information...I have to study the night before." I don't believe it and I don't buy it as an excuse. If you are "studying" the night before, you aren't learning material at all, you are memorizing...memorizing terms and the way problems are done. That is fine, if the professor never asks you to apply what you "learned" to a new concept or problem. Many a student has gotten by just by memorizing. But, if you really want an "A" in a class, you will learn the material,(not just memorize it), at a slow and steady pace that builds confidence over panic.

The distinction is real and the results are real. Try slow and steady studying for just one semester. I think you will be converted to this method!

Watches are so named as a reminder - if you don't watch carefully what you do with your time, it will slip away from you. ~Drew Sirtors