Time Management for University Students - Essay Example

? Literature review on time management for Introduction A modern literature is focused on the issue of time management. A specialattention is paid to time management for the University students. Still, there is a lack of multi-sided researchers and studies in this field. It is possible to classify them in accordance with the basic issues covered in the modern studies and researches. The advantages and disadvantages of time management skills among University students The benefits of time management are the following: if a student can manage his time effectively, he would succeed in his educational process with no violation of his personal time and freedom (Trueman and Hartley, 1996). Students are usually afraid of having not enough time to prepare for the exams or to complete their tasks in time. The root of evil here is not in a lack of knowledge, but very often it is inability to organize their working time effectively. In order to increase students’ abilities to catch up with educational process, it is necessary for students to spend more time on preparing for their classes (Kwan and Ko, 2002). Thus time management skills should be developed for quality increase of individual and class work. It may be also argued that if a student spends more time on preparation for classes he would succeed for sure. Not the quantity but quality plays an important role as well. For example, a student may spend 25 hours per week to prepare for classes, but he would be inattentive during the process of preparation. That’s why, “If [students] started to manage their time and feel more in control of their lives their marks went up and they seemed to get more out of their experience at university” (Trueman and Hartley, 1996). Thus a great advantage of time management skills development is a student’s ability to gain more knowledge and be more socially active during his study at the University. The fact that Universities rushed into developing of students’ time management skills witness the crucial importance of this aspect of students’ lives. Personal emotional conditions of students, their high-quality participation in educational process would be beneficial for their self-perfection and self-esteem (Claessens et al. 2007). Unfortunately, there is a lack of students’ interest in the development of their time management skills. In spite of the fact that numerous seminars on these topic are held in the Universities, the level of students present there is very low. “Although many seminars, workshops and orientations are held in university on the topic of time management, few students pay attention to the advice” (Kwan, 2003). Negative aspects of time management discipline development are that students remain indifferent to this problem. Therefore it is relevant to reveal the real reasons for that. If students don’t want to manage their time and spend it on their study they should be encouraged not only theoretically but practically as well. Lectures on time management may seem boring to modern students. It would be more interesting, for example, if they had an ability to watch a funny film about a student who couldn’t manage his time and came across different mishaps and unpleasant situations. Therefore, time management should turn from a theoretically-based discipline to be more practical and creative. That’s why a suggested technique during seminars, such as funny films viewing, would encourage students to catch up with their group mates because they would be afraid of becoming a prototype for such kind of films. Moreover, an essential drawback of students’ inability to manage their time is a violation of their social roles and personal lives. Being distressed and nervous because of failures in their educational process, students may loose their interests in their friends or families. It can be even suggested that a ‘brave procrastinator’ is a tender creature full of fears before his inability to cope with home task or fail during the exam. Such kind of students usually turns their attention to computer technologies and Internet. In such a way they substitute a necessity to develop their time-management skills by copy-pasting or plagiarizing of information from online sources. In order to divert student’s attention from easy ways to be a successful student, a teacher should play an important role. The best way to develop time management skills during classes is to give tasks directly in class. For example, writing compositions during a set period of time would help a student to concentrate and think accurately. The main drawback of such kind of strategy is a lack of time management skills. As a result a student may be depressed, confused and would hardly be able to get his task ready in time. As far as we can see, time management has positive effects on student’s learning skills, personal and social life for sure. The Universities attention to this problem is great, but students are not really interested in this matter. With this respect it is necessary to conduct additional researches and develop strategies for students’ encouragement in time skills development. Works cited 1. Britton, B. K., & Tesser, A. “Effects of time management practices of college grades”. Journal of Educational Psychology 83 (1991): 405-410. 2. Budden, C., Anthony, J., Budden, M., & Jones, M. “Managing the evolution of a revolution: Marketing implications of internet media usage among college students”. College Teaching Methods & Styles Journal 3.3 (2007): 5-10. 3. Claessens, Brigitte J.C. “A review of the time management literature”. Personnel Review 38. 2 (2008): 255-276. 4. Covic, T., Adamson, B. J., Lincoln, M., & Kench, P. L. “Health science students’ time organization and management skills: A cross disciplinary investigation.” Medical Teacher 25 (2003): 47-53. 5. Macan, T. M., Shahani, C., Dipboye, R. L., & Phillips, A. P. “College students’ time management: Correlations with academic performance and stress.” Journal of Educational Psychology 82 (1990): 760-768. 6. Nonis, S. A., Hudson, G., Logan, L. B., & Ford, C. W. (1998). Influence of perceived control over time on college student’s stress and stress–related outcomes. Research in Higher Education, 39, 587-605. 7. Trout, P. “Disengaged students and the decline of academic standards”. Academic Questions 10. 2 (1997): 46-56. 8. Trueman, M. & Hartley, J. “A comparison between the time management skills and academic performance of mature and traditional-entry university students.” Higher Education 32 (1996): 199-215. Methodology and questioners Empirical analysis based on data from additional researches and studies and questionnaires filled in by Bangor University 20 male and female successful students, and 20 male and female unsuccessful students chosen at random will be shown further on. The quantitative data collected from these questionnaires will be analysed through regression and correlation analyses by using SPSS software. The secondary qualitative data is collected through secondary sources comprised of academic journals, articles, newspapers, books and literature reviews from internet to probe the depth of the topic under study. The secondary qualitative data In the study conducted by Britton and Tesser (1991), it is underlined that it is more positive for students’ grade point average to imply short-range planning. Short-time planning allows a student to correct his schedule in compliance with possible changes. In the study conducted by Macan et al (1990) the four-factor model describing four basic steps taken by American students in the process of time management. This model will be a basis for questionnaires in this research. The works of the researchers of 90s are mainly devoted to correlation between time management, academic performance and emotional conditions of the students (Britton et al, 1990; Macan et al., 1990; Nonis et al, 1998); between time management and gender and age of the students (Covic et al., 2003; Trueman & Hartley, 1996). Moreover, attention in the studies is focused on development of students’ time management skills (Trout, 1997; Budden et al, 2007). Primary research and questionnaire Data was collected on the basis of students’ responses in the four main directions: how they set a goal and priorities; how they develop a plan and a schedule; how they control over time and their attitude to disorganization. In the result of research it was found out that females are more organized in the educational process but at the same time they feel distressed more than male students if they can’t control over time. Successful female students organize their time and pay attention to time management skills; successful male students are less concerned about time management skills though they succeed in education. Unsuccessful male and female students do not develop their time management skills but feel distressed if they fail. As far as we can see, on the basis of this research it is possible to make the following conclusion: there is a need to maximize students’ academic achievement via time management skills development. Efficient time management would increase academic performance together with other correspondent concepts, such as self-judgment, self-control, emotional stability and other integrative psychological and mental functions of the University students. On the basis of qualitative primary and secondary researchers it was found out that there is a need to develop students’ time management skills because all aspects of student’s life are connected with their ability to manage their time. Read More