Miscellaneous Assignment 13: Time Log

Summary: In this exercise, you will gather information on how you spend your time. Such information can be useful in predicting your future workload and in helping you think about how to schedule your time.

Purpose: To help you think about planning your time.

Due: 8:00 a.m., Tuesday, 30 November 2010

Preparation: Grab a few sheets of paper. Make columns that read Date, Activity, Start Time, End Time, and Notes.

Activity: Record all the things you do from Wednesday, 3 November 2010 to Tuesday, 16 November 2010 in rough detail (approximately half-hour units). Feel free to describe things that are too personal or that you don't want to share as miscellaneous.

FAQ:

Q: You don't really expect me to record all the things I do each day, do you?

A: Yes, I really do.

Q: Why are you asking me to complete this exercise? Are you simply a sadist or a voyeur?

A: Because there's some fairly good evidence that recording how you spend your time is a good first step in finding ways to better manage your time and reduce stress. Because we'll need to predict how long some activities will take in the future, and we need some data on those activities now.

Q: Why two weeks? Why not one week or just a few days?

A: Two weeks is enough time to record a variety of activities and kinds of days. Less time is usually not enough.

Q: Who will see this time log?

A: You will. I will. We two are the only people who have to see it. I hope to have Joyce Stern talk to our Tutorial about time management issues, and I encourage you to share it with her. If you choose to share it with your colleagues in Tutorial, you may, but you are certainly not required to do so. If you find yourself under time pressure, you may find it useful to share with academic advising. If you choose to post it on the Web, lots of people will see it, but I'm not sure why they'd want to.

Q: Have you done this exercise?

A: Those that can't do, teach. However, I will also try this exercise at the same time that you are doing it.

Q: Come on. This assignment is really just another of your experiments in Will my Tutees really do everything I tell them to? Isn't it?

A: While I am regularly astounded by my Tutees to do the things I ask, I have assigned this task because I firmly believe that you will benefit from it and some followup work. My first set of Tutees recommended the exercise and my second set of Tutees recommended putting it late in the semester. My third set of Tutees had a bit of a less positive reaction, but I'm continuing the tradition anyway.