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Time management

Do you manage your time effectively? Are you always rushing to meet deadlines, find yourself double booked, forgetting to complete important tasks?

Time management is about being effective and efficient with a valuable resource, in other words ‘it is making sure we do more of the things we want to do, and in good time’. This is important because while you are on placement you will be expected to organise your own time and as you are only with the host company for a short period it is essential that you manage your time effectively.

The value of planning your time is often not recognised, and some people argue that time spent planning is wasted time.

However, by planning your time you will:

  • Decrease your time spent on decision making
  • Reduce crises
  • Provide direction
  • Increase proactive activity
  • Increase quality and quantity of work

Yet, there are a few simple steps which take the minimum effort to bring back significant improvements in your productivity and efficiency.

  1. Set aside 15 minutes a day to plan
  2. Write down all tasks you need to accomplish
  3. Prioritise your tasks
  4. Estimate how much time each task requires
  5. Assign a time of day for each task

However, this will only be effective if you:

  • Make realistic time projections
  • Account for interruptions
  • Don’t include long range goals

Remember that your placement will pass quickly.

These tips will help you make the most of your opportunity and deliver a valuable project to your host company.