Purpose Statement
The two activities are
meant to encourage students to understand that effective time management is not
a singularly dimensional problem—it also can stem from and/or can be caused by
stress. By charting both how they use their time, and what is causing stress in
their lives, students can link the two and begin to focus on long-term
solutions rather than trying short-term “fad” approaches.
Description Activity
Activity #1 – the Weekly
Time Log:
a). The instructor distributes two copies of the Weekly Time Log to students on
a Monday. Students should return one of the forms the following Monday.
Students should keep a copy of their completed form for their files. This is a
good extra credit assignment.
b). On the Monday that the forms are returned, the instructor should engage the
students in discussion regarding “time wasters.” Note: Instructors should know
that many City College students also work part- or full-time and many juggle
the responsibilities of family as well. Tell students this, but point out that
all of us
can benefit from prioritizing and being more organized.
Activity #2 – Stress Charting:
a). At the same time the instructor passes out the Weekly Time Log, he or she
also distributes two copies of the Stress Charting form.
b). Students should keep a weekly log of anything they sense that is causing
them
stress. At the end of the week, the student should look at his or her journal
and chart the stressors in the quadrants of the Stress Chart.
c). At the bottom of the Stress Chart, the student should rank order all of the
stressors listed in the quadrants in descending order of importance.
d). Students should turn in one copy of the Weekly Time Log and Stress Chart to
the
instructor and keep one for their reference.
e). The instructor should engage students in discussion about what is causing
them stress.
Important: It is important for the instructor to link the two areas together in
order to help students understand that becoming more organized is one of the
best ways to reduce stress. Point out that not all stress can be eliminated by
effective time management, but much can be. If students can see success in one
area (i.e., effective time management leading to a reduction in personal
stress), hopefully they will be encouraged about working on reducing stress in
other personal areas.
Materials Needed
Handouts of the Weekly
Time Log and Stress Chart are attached
Application
a). As stated above,
it is best to use the two activities together.
b). Be sure to distribute two copies of each form to each student. Ask students
to put their names on the forms to be returned.
c). Offering extra credit as an incentive will help students actually complete
the activity.
d). Don’t forget to actually have some discussion with the class when the
students turn their forms in. Chart good ideas for eliminating “time wasters”
on the board. Instructors might want to put students in groups of 3 or 5 in
order to discuss ideas for getting better organized, eliminating time wasters,
etc. Then, have class
discussion with someone from each group acting as the group spokesperson.
e). If time permits, instructors can use the forms collected from students to
be able discuss problem areas with students who might be falling behind.
Related Student Services
Students can avail themselves of two modules housed in
the LRC. One module is called
“Time Management” and the other is “Managing Stress: Pass the Stress Test!”
Contact
Janice Chase in the LRC to obtain the videotape and Student Guide that
accompanies each tape. The Student Guide contains questions relating to the
video, activities, and
self-evaluation.
The Health and Wellness office in SS170 offers 6 free counseling sessions to
any City College student during the course of the semester. Students who are
experiencing undue stress may avail themselves of this service.
this web page was created
on 11/2/99 at 4:16:56 PM
and modified on 11/2/99 at 4:16:56 PM