Education
Perspectives on Parenting©
by Nancy Lambert Davenport

Nancy Davenport's Column:
For Richardson News 03-05-00
Copyright Nancy Lambert Davenport 2000

"Time management is what separates the scholars from the wannabe pack"

Amy stomped in her house and flopped down on the sofa.

"I can't believe I have so much homework," she whined. "Not only do I have an algebra test and a vocabulary test in English tomorrow, but I have to write a four-page research paper for history."

Her mother knew that the whole family was in for a long and miserable evening. None of these assignments were surprises to Amy. The research paper had been assigned two weeks before. The algebra and English tests were standing weekly assignments. Yet Amy waited until the last minute.

It's a familiar story. Many students have little concept of time management and make it a low priority to learn; yet poor time management skills is THE most common reason for failure in college.

Experts in the subject say there are various reasons we fail to get things done. Procrastination is the most common. Amy was guilty of this. I am guilty of this. Actually I get a lot done when I procrastinate - everything except what I am supposed to get done.

Kids like Amy may need some help along the way - especially heavily committed kids. Calendars are a must for these students, so that they can see assignments piling up on certain due dates and consider the possibility of working ahead.

Lists are useful when they can be posted where everyone can see them. That may eliminate the need or temptation for some nagging on the part of the parents.

Although procrastination is the most common form of poor time management, it is closely followed by failing to set priorities.

Amy probably spent hours on the telephone with her friends on previous evenings when she could have been working on her history paper or doing some preliminary review for the tests.

She would possibly have benefited from a set of lists: One would be a "must-do-before-anything-else" and the other would be a "like-to-do-if-there-is-time." Getting started is as hard here as it is for the procrastinator. Instead of having "write history paper" on the list, short manageable tasks might be more appealing.

This could be:

Choose subject
Write cover sheet
Write outline
Rough draft
Final draft
Get dad to proof read
Final copy

Less common, but still destructive to well-managed time, is falling victim to perfectionism. There is certainly no fault in doing work correctly and well, but some people get bogged down in spending time on details that are unimportant.

I have seen students labor for much too long over the design of the cover sheet of a paper, leaving no quality time for the body of the composition. These students would benefit from the list above with a specific timeline added to it for a project. Setting goals with a time line can be a reality check for the perfectionist.

Similar to perfectionism, but attacking a different group altogether, is the problem of unrealistic expectations. This is a tough one. Teachers and parents want students to stretch themselves and never want to be guilty of discouraging them from trying something challenging.

I think-, though, the student who may have a problem with unrealistic expectations is the one who wants to "do it all." He will want to be in the choir, band and football team as well as be active in Scouts and hold down a part-time job. It just doesn't work. Some choices have to be made.

In a way Amy, too, had the problem of unrealistic expectations, just to a different degree. She thought she could get a paper done in one evening and at the same time have two tests disappear from existence.

With some help of a list or two and perhaps the hard reality of a poor grade when she knew she was capable of better, she may come around to understanding the need of better time management.

Let's hope so.

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Nancy Lambert Davenport
EMAIL: nancdave@swbell.net
URL: http://www.nancyldavenport.com