Week 8：“How are you doing with time management? Are you balancing the multiple needs of this course? Your other courses? Are you making time for reading, writing, studying, and collaborating? Explain your yes/no answers. Include how if yes or your success plan if no.”

To be honest, my time management is terrible because I procrastinate. I can be on time, but at the last minute. Usually if something unexpected happens, my punctuality turns into being late. I was able to balance the multiple demands of different courses and stay up late to achieve and complete them. I’m a terrible sleeper, so it’s not really important to me when I go to bed. Regarding reading, writing, studying and collaborating, I don’t have much time to do it because I not only have to go to class but also go to work. Basically, if the course requires it, I will do these things.

I feel that for someone like me who gets easily flustered and unable to do anything once he finds time is tight, constantly focusing on the remaining time will only shift the focus to the final result and ignore the possible gains in the process. If the results are not ideal, you will fall into negative emotions. But if you shift your focus, learning will become much more enjoyable. For example, after an exam is over, when others are sad about their scores, we can analyze the mistakes that occurred in the exam and solve them. Others are still relaxing or sad, but we have completed the growth that these two days of exams can bring and are in a better state to invest in future studies. This is the meaning of time management.

Efficient time management does not mean arranging every minute to the full, no leisure, and absolute self-discipline, because the meaning of time management lies in the effect, not in the busy work. The best way to use your time is to concentrate without hesitation when studying, and to put down your worries and take a good rest when you are tired.