Time Management Exercises

Effective time management is an art. Make sure that Valar is part of your daily schedule. Without proper planning, it can be easy to fall behind.

Time Journal

If you are struggling to manage your time, we suggest creating a time journal for the week. Capture everything you are doing from the time you wake up until you go to bed. Once a week has passed then review your time journal to determine where you might be able to devote pockets of time to your studies. For example, are you spending 2 hours scrolling through social media at night? Instead, you can plan 1 hour from that period to take a few lessons and review notes. Once you’ve established where you can add study time, then put it on your calendar and stick to it.

Find Joy

Make sure you’re also scheduling time for activities that bring you joy. Part of student success is making sure you are taking care of yourself. If you need a study break, then go for a quick walk outside. If you spent a few extra hours working on a project, then plan time to grab coffee with a friend. If you’re struggling to balance your commitments, then reach out to our Academic Advising team for assistance.

Give Yourself a Limit

We know that intentional study breaks help with memory retention, progress, and ultimately, success. But, if we spend too much time taking a break we're more likely to fall behind. Set a boundary for yourself, rather a consequence for falling off track. For example, see if you can finish this statement: "If I don’t log in for 3 days, I will…" Make it something that you may not want to do, but the stakes aren’t too high if you have to follow through (e.g. 50 jumping jacks, take a task off your partner's chore list for the week, etc). Make sure to share this with an accountability buddy. Keep this in mind when you're contemplating not signing into the platform.

Sample Student Schedules

Click here to see some ideas for incorporating your Valar studies into your everyday life.  You can use these schedules as a starting point for building your own Valar schedule.