Timing is Everything

Welcome to a new semester! The excitement of a fresh, new start fills the air here at Del Mar College. As syllabi are being distributed and course calendars reviewed, now is a great time to address the ever-critical aspect of time management, especially in regards to writing assignments.

Lazing a day away at the beach, relaxing without a care in the world, watching the waves and the seabirds, all bring peace to my mind; but not every day can be a timeless one. Life also requires work (which is often quite fun in its own right). Work involves a component of managing time, planning ahead to make sure that what needs to be done is done on time.

As a student, you know the difference between time that you can call completely your own and time that has to be used to get work done for a class. One way to avoid a sudden and hideously hopeless realization that you’ve got a paper due NOW is to write down what work the instructor expects you to complete as soon as you know what the class requirements are.

At the beginning of a semester, usually on the first day of class, most instructors provide an overview of the course with calendar dates that list upcoming assignments. Their hope, actually their expectation, is that students who know in advance when work is due will manage their time effectively, a practical and worthwhile goal, one that practically assures success in the course.

Along with noting what work is due and when it is due, estimating how long each assignment will probably take makes sense. A research paper takes much longer to write than a paragraph or a one-page summary. Some assigned reading also involves more time than others, an article vs. a whole book, for instance. You know from previous experience what you can accomplish fairly quickly and what will take extra time.

Even if you enjoy living on the edge - the very brink of disaster - and think your best work happens at the last minute because fear and pressure inspire you, the reality is that advance planning remains the wiser course. In fact, getting the work done before the due date, a few days in advance, is even wiser than just planning to start before the deadline. (Your paper may possibly need a bit of revision, something you definitely don’t want to do right before the very minute it is due.)

The final advantage of advance planning and getting work done in a timely fashion is that you wind up with extra time, time to call your own, free time with nothing to do but what you choose. Like me, you might enjoy a pleasant trip to the bay front to watch the waves, pick up shells along the beach, and let the soothing sounds of the surf bring you peace of mind.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!

The above entry is taken from Roxy's archive; it was originally published January 12, 2012.