Organizing Your Time

            Families, communities, and nations are blessed by individuals who can organize their time well and fill it with good deeds. It is said that busy people are more apt to accomplish a given task than those who have lots of time.    Busy people use calendars and other such helps to schedule their time. By using a schedule they allot so much time for each task. This helps them to accomplish more because most people do not have enough time to do a task unless they schedule for it. The same is true for students.

            As part of a personal effort to improve my own study skills, I am reading a book titled The World Book of Study Power, volume 1, and I am attempting to share a little of what I learn with my readers. Teaching others what I have learned helps to solidify the information in my own brain and is, therefore, a valuable learning tool. Most of the information that follows, including the following quote, comes from this book.

Everyone has the same number of minutes to spend in every day. Despite this, some people get a lot done and some get very little done. Why? Perhaps what matters is not how much time you have but how you spend that time. The issue is quality: “How well do I spend my time?” and not quantity: “How much time do I have?”

To increase the quality of the time you spend, you’ll need a schedule. Face the fact that your time is just like money – it’s going to get spent, one way or the other. It’s up to you to decide what you want it spent on. A schedule is a plan for spending time, just as your budget helps you spend your money wisely and save whenever possible.

            It is important that we learn to not over schedule our time.

 We should not accept more work than we can actually handle. None of us has an endless amount of time because each day has only 24 hours for each of us. We can burn the candle at both ends of our day trying to fit more activities into our lives, but eventually our bodies will wear out for lack of sleep. Any good schedule allows enough time for sleep, eating healthy meals, proper exercise, and personal relationships. 

    

            The best way to get the most out of our day is to use a schedule our time. We need to plan our day, and then work our plan. Parents can increase their child’s chances of success by helping them learn to schedule their time and then make their schedule work for them. Remember, busy people are the ones who get things done, and people who get things done strengthen families, communities, and nations.

A Place to Study

            Families, communities, and nations are strengthened when individuals have a place to do their best studying. When a person has a comfortable place to study, it is easier to go to it. Each person needs a place free from distraction and comfortable enough to do the work.

            As part of a personal effort to improve my own study skills, I am reading a book titled The World Book of Study Power, volume 1, and I am attempting to share a little of what I learn with my readers. Teaching others what I have learned helps to solidify the information in my own brain and is, therefore, a valuable learning tool. Most of the information that follows, including quotes and ideas, come from this book.

            The best place to study is one that will make studying easier to do. This place needs to be a place where you can start studying immediately and remain studying until the assignment is finished. Once you determine your special place, you should arrange it the way that you desire.

            My husband recently had surgery to repair a rotator cuff. I wanted my study area to be close to the bedroom in order for me to hear him. I moved my lap top computer and study materials to a card table in a nearby bedroom. I am now about twenty feet from him where I can easily hear him if he needs attention. He has enough quiet to get his rest, and I have enough quiet to complete my assignments. This arrangement works well for both of us, especially because I am putting ice on his shoulder for thirty minutes, taking it off for thirty minutes, and then putting it back on – all day long.

            According to the book, there are some basic necessities for successful study. One of those basic needs is a writing surface, but there are other needs.

A basic requirement for any study or workspace is a writing surface. For many people, that surface will be a desk or table. Others prefer to stretch out on the floor. Of course, even if your concentration is much greater while you’re lying on your stomach, you’ll probably be able to indulge in that luxury only at home! The most important thig is to be comfortable enough to concentrate, but not comfortable to the point of falling asleep.

Being aware of how you sit or stand will help you concentrate longer. Support your head, neck, shoulders, and lower back by sitting with good posture. Improper support can lead to tension and fatigue, which in turn can lead to discomfort, backaches, and loss of concentration…

Your desk or worktable should have enough space for you to spread out your papers, books, and supplies. You might want to keep reference books, such as a dictionary, thesaurus, and atlas, on your desk. Bookshelves and file cabinets can be handy as well.

            Parents can hopefully help their child or children to prepare comfortable study areas,   where they can concentrate on their studies. They may want to have a study place close to you or prefer a private area. Either way, by helping your child to succeed in school will strengthen your family as well as your community and nation.

Master Distractions

            Families, communities, and nations are strengthened when individuals learn to master distractions in all areas of life. A person could have an automobile accident if distracted while driving a car, or one could burn dinner if their eyes and mind are elsewhere.

            As part of a personal effort to improve my own study skills, I am reading a book titled The World Book of Study Power, volume 1, and I am attempting to share a little of what I learn with my readers. Teaching others what I have learned helps to solidify the information in my own brain and is, therefore, a valuable learning tool. Most of the information that follows, including quotes and ideas, come from this book.

            I am about to start another semester of school, and I know that students of all ages are returning to the classroom. Therefore, I thought it would be good to do another post on study skills. There is no better topic for this time of year than distractions and how to manage them.

            The above referenced book describes a distraction as “anything that takes you physically or mentally away from what you’re doing. Distractions can have a big effect on how well you do something, no matter what it is” (p 60).

            As the book points out, we all have to deal with distractions every single day. I remember a day many years ago when I answered my daughter’s call. I was in my yard watering the strawberry plants that were growing next to my house. Without thinking about what I was doing, I dropped the hose and went to find my daughter. She needed her hair braided or something fairly inconsequential and I forgot about the water. I forgot about it – until I heard another family member scream that the basement was flooding! It seems now that I told another child to turn the water off, but I could not say for certain. Needless to say, we had a mess in our basement because I got too distracted to turn off the water.

            I have had other distractions, such as locking the car without taking the keys. I have had to call for help on numerous occasions because I did not pay attention to what I was doing. I have also burned food on numerous occasions because of distraction, and I have missed freeway exits many times because I was thinking about something else. Distraction from school assignments can have the same disastrous results in education, and there are ways to master distraction.

            The way to manage many distractions from school work is to plan ahead. With planning ahead, we can eliminate many distractions before they take place. Here is a summary of some suggestions from the book (pp 61-65).

(1) Reduce noise and eliminate distractions with planning ahead: Shut the window to close out noises, close the door to signal a need for quiet, and let the phone ring or the call go to the answering machine.

(2) Make your work space as comfortable by adding or reducing light, putting a pillow behind your back, or turning the thermostat up or down as needed.

(3) Eliminate distractions by studying while other people are away. [I like to do my studying in the early morning hours while my husband sleeps.]

(4) Stick to your study schedule. When family members see you honoring your time, they will be more likely to respect it also.

(5) Arrange your study area how it suits you the best. [My children did their studying while sitting on their beds, while I prefer studying at a table or desk.]

(6) Keep study materials in your study space. This eliminates the need to go to other areas of the house, which could lead to distractions.

            We can learn to master the environmental distractions in our lives, but we must do some planning ahead to accomplish it. When we are able to concentrate on our studies, we will learn more and become better students. As we improve in our ability to control distractions around us, we will be able to strengthen our families, and thus strengthen our communities and nations.