Directions

Step 1: Warm-Up

Imagine it’s Sunday night, and you just realized you forgot about an assignment due tomorrow. You should have been studying, but you also had soccer practice, chores, and a friend’s birthday this week. Think back over the past week:

- - - How did you decide what to do each day?
    - Did anything important slip through the cracks or cause you stress?

Now, think about the idea of using a weekly planner or scheduler (on paper or your phone).

- - - What might change if you could see all your homework, activities, and free time mapped out for the week?
    - Describe one way a weekly schedule could help you avoid last-minute surprises or balance schoolwork and fun.
    - What challenge do you think you’d face in actually using a scheduler regularly

Step 2: Planning:

1. 1. 1. Think of all the things you have to do this week. Make a list.

Step 3: Scheduling

1. 1. 1. Make a copy of the scheduling template: Weekly Scheduling Template.
      - Let's take a few minutes to set up a folder for READ 101 in your Google drive now, if you don't already have one.
    2. Refer back to your list. What is the most important thing you need to do this week? Add that first.
    3. What is the next most important,
    4. Continue filling in all of your events.

Step 4: Have you missed anything?

Fixed Commitments (Add First):

- - - School hours
    - Extracurricular activities (sports, clubs, lessons)
    - Work shifts (if applicable)
    - Family obligations (appointments, religious services)

This is your weekly schedule for this semester. You can keep this as your template to make copies from. Then you can create weekly schedules based on variable commitments.

Academic Deadlines and Study Blocks:

- - - Due dates for homework, projects, quizzes, and tests
    - Regular study time for each class
    - Tutoring or help sessions

Personal and Wellness Activities:

- - - Meals
    - Exercise or physical activity
    - Downtime, hobbies, social time
    - Sleep schedule

Flexible Tasks and Goals (Add Last):

- - - Chores
    - Free time for relaxation or interests

Step 5: Reflect & Discuss

- - - Do you think a schedule like this could help you be more efficient? How?
    - What other benefits do you think might come from using a schedule like this?

Keep this schedule handy - you will refer to it during the video workshop this week. You might even make some adjustments.

Summary of the Activity

Using a weekly or monthly schedule helps college students manage their time more effectively by providing clear organization, improving productivity, reducing stress, and ensuring balance between academic and personal life.

Here are a few ways a weekly or monthly schedule can benefit you in and outside of school:

Provides Clear Organization and Structure: A schedule can help you see all of your commitments—classes, study time, work, extracurriculars, and personal appointments—in one place. This overview allows your to prioritize tasks and manage competing responsibilities.

Helps Avoid Missing Deadlines and Appointments: By writing down due dates, exam days, and appointments, you have visual reminders that reduce the chance of forgetting assignments or having to do last-minute cramming. You have to check your schedule daily, though.

Reduces Stress and Prevents Overwhelm: When you know what to expect each day and how to allocate your study and downtime, you will feel calmer and your mind will be less cluttered with worries or distraction, which lowers anxiety. Scheduling buffer time between commitments provides a buffer and increases flexibility to handle unexpected situations without feeling overwhelmed.

Supports Better Time Management and Productivity: Think about how you can break large projects into smaller, manageable study sessions spaced over weeks or months. This time blocking technique lets you dedicate focused time slots for studying, sleeping, exercising, and socializing, which will ultimately improve your concentration and efficiency.

Promotes Work-Life Balance: By including personal activities like hobbies, down time, and social events, you prevent burnout and maintain motivation. Seeing planned leisure time in the schedule also encourages healthy habits, which ultimately supports your academic success.

Builds Discipline and Accountability: When you get in the habit of using a planner, you develop self-discipline and accountability. Calendar reminders and visualizing commitments will help you follow through on assignments and social plans will success.