Inia's Legacy // Warisan Inia: Time Management

The following tips will help you minimize your stress level and maximize your time for college fun.

Determine what’s most important to you. What’s your first priority? What can be dropped? Write an ordered list of what you need to get done. Prioritize the items on your list.
Control your distractions. Get rid of unnecessary jobs. Handle visitors well. For example, if you’re studying in your dorm room and don’t want to be bothered, lock your door. Avoid phone distraction by turning off your ringer and letting the answering machine catch your calls.
Eat a good breakfast. Not only is this good in resisting the pressure of the “freshman ten” (you burn your breakfast calories during the day), but a good breakfast gives your body carbohydrates and sugars to keep you energized.
When working in groups, delegate jobs efficiently. Often, people will hesitate to delegate jobs when working in groups, but take charge if there is not a designated leader.
Get the most out of class. Go to class and be on time. Be well-prepared and ready for discussion. If you class is 400 people in a lecture hall, read the material to be covered (check your syllabus or ask your professor for one). I promise this helps (plus, you’ll feel super smart when you recognize the terms your professor talks about).
One of the best things you can do to manage your time (then be managed by it) is to learn to say “no.” Say “no” to people asking you to play pool when you should study or when someone wants help with something at an inconvenient time for you. Suggest a different time to help when it’s more convenient for you.
Remember that there’s a time for everything. Sure, studying for a long time is good, but take breaks. Take power naps when your brain starts frying. If the weather’s nice, a good game of ultimate Frisbee also refreshes the tired mind.

Everyone’s different; some people like rigid day planners, others can deal with a simple note pad. Adjust these suggestions to best suit your needs.

With good time management skills, you’ll find yourself a happier and healthier person.

Source of Article: Power to Change

"Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much can be done if we are always doing." - Thomas Jefferson.
"You may delay, but time will not." - Benjamin Franklin.
"Make use of time, let not advantage slip." - William Shakespeare.

Assalamualaykum and a very good day to each and everyone of you! ;) How do you do? Hope things are going well by your side.

It’s been a busy week for me as I am involved my college’s biggest project, which is college’s annual dinner where I was chosen to be an MC (Master of Ceremony) for Phase 1 Dinner (which was held on 26^th April 2012) and being placed in Gifts and Presents Division for Phase 2 Dinner, which will be held on 5^th May, 2012 (Oh gosh, the rehearsals will be starting from this Tuesday or Wednesday nights...). Rehearsals for Phase 1 Dinner was made one week straight from 8pm to 12-1 am where my whole schedule for this week is quite tight with many assignments and duties to be made as well.

In spite of been fatigued mentally and physically, experience gained are valuable indeed. I learnt that teamwork, commitment, responsibility, punctuality , endurance and patience must be blended in making a project thrive and successful. The event of Malam Penghargaan Dayasari (MPD) 2011/2012 (Kolej Kediaman Kelima) held quite successfully with good weather condition and every committee did their best for the night too!

For the MC part, one thing I learnt was that an MC need to be very good in controlling an event. One unexpected occasion occurred while we MCs (I was partnered with a Chinese guy) invited a group of performance for the opening ceremony, suddenly Isya’ prayers call (Azan) emerged on the scene from the college’s musolla. We were silent quite awkwardly and I should have announced to the audience that we will pause the ceremony while waiting for the prayer’s call to stop. Instead, we MCs were silent and the Chinese guy not knowing that the prayer’s call were not ended yet, he announced that our ceremony will be continued when the prayer’s call are still taking place in the atmosphere. One thing for an MC to know is that he/she needs to be alert and prepared of anything unexpected occurance happened during an event. Kindly read my other post of Master of Ceremonies Tips for your brief reference.

“ I swear by the time; Most surely man is in loss; Except those who believe and do good, and enjoin on each other truth, and enjoin on each other patience” - Al-Asr (103): 1-3.

With many commitments and tasks, a student is required to spend their time wisely; or to be straight forward, need to have good time management. During this week which required me to be in good physical condition, I’ve keep remembering Al-Asr surah with the above meaning, where how exhausted and tiring it was to be involved in any projects and assignments or tasks, we should bear in mind that sincerity is the utmost important. At times, we might be having this thoughts of “What am I doing?”, “Why am I doing this again?”, or “I shoudn’t have applied this position before” when things gone so wrong and when one is under pressured. Sincerity is the only thing that could have make you feel at least calm and do things anyway.

A few sad events happened to me this week where I have been performing my Subuh prayers late, not been punctual to attend some lectures and that I have been skipping breakfast and taken brunch instead. Being a student (or even NOT a student, hehe) breakfast is utmost vital. Energy obtained from breakfast will provide sufficent energy for our body to work all day. So, I’ll make attempts to have my breakfast everyday starting next week. Lets let go of the bad thing and move on to good thing happening this week. I have been taking milk as suggested by my dear friend. I have always wanted to drink milk everyday before, but I always ended up didn’t. So, this is a good improvement Inia! Good job!

Well, let me share with you a few articles of time management for university students for those who are having quite the same problem with me.

These are links on managing time from Dartmouth College, USA that might be helping you. Make use of these handouts to the fullest :)