“The early bird catches the worm” is a common phrase I’ve heard throughout my life. The meaning of this phrase can be interpreted by many that getting an earlier start will allow one to be more successful. As the semester comes to an end, I have realized how important time is and this phrase could not be more significant. The semester went by quick and I’ve learned it is easier to say you’re going to complete a task, than actually completing a task. I have always been organized in life, but as we know life doesn’t go as planned.
In INTD 105 Dr. McCoy provides the class with helpful strategies to use in our future careers at Geneseo. Dr. McCoy taught us the importance of planning ahead. She has provide us with an endless amount of resources to help prevent procrastination and has discussed how it can affect students. Earlier in the semester, we read the article, 5 Strategies to Demystify the Learning Process for Struggling Students, which teaches the “Pomodoro Technique”. The article stated that the technique was developed by Francesco Cirillo, and uses a timer to help the learner work and break at set intervals. The technique is supposed to help prevent procrastination and help student focus on a certain task for an allotted amount of time and taking a break. Learning about this technique has been beneficial in improving my time management to complete assignments. Another resource provided by Dr. McCoy was a pre-writing template for the “Bloodchild” essay which helped us to brainstorm and plan out our idea before writing the essay. The template provided a start for the essay which required time and thinking. Time can easily go to waste, but the resources provided by Dr. McCoy helped the class to develop time management skills, which can be used throughout our Geneseo career and in the professional workforce.
Earlier in the spring semester, I was focused on improving my time management skill. I learned after my first semester it was difficult for me to focus on one task at a time as there were some many tasks that needed to be completed. I finally felt as though I had found my balance between completing my school work and other various activities. At one point I got ahead of my work and was on top of it. Soon other events that could not be planned caught up with me and I found myself going down a path I wasn’t prepared to nor wanted to go down. I suddenly found myself falling behind and stressing out about the work I had to complete. It was overwhelming and this made it difficult to get any work done. I spent more time procrastinating and stressing out than actually completing my school work. Once I was caught up and efficiently using my time, I was able to feel at ease about the things I couldn’t control. Time is the most valuable resource that we have and the choice to efficiently and effectively manage time is a key to success both in college and the real world. The time management skills that I have developed this past year have helped me to achieve my goals. Although, we cannot plan for the unexpected, how we choose to respond to it can allow us to overcome everyday obstacles.