Task Management

Over the course of this spring semester, I have learned many new strategies that I still continue to use. Usually, I talk about how I use the 10 minute technique, or the 20 minute test prep. A few strategies I haven't really talked much about are Chunking the Task and Putting it All Together: Course Matrix. I try to continue to use strategies that will help me not procrastinate, and these to strategies have proven themselves to work over this semester.

Chunking the Task is one of the best strategies I have learned all semester. When I look back on all these new strategies or techniques, I will always think about Chunking the Task because it was one of the first ones we learned. Chunking the Task is so efficient for me because it allows me to map out my papers, projects, and exam preparations. Chunking the Task for me is usually used when I have a longer paper due, or a big project. I have used chunking the task for my HST 102 class because I have had two long papers. I divide these papers into sections on different dates, and start it a lot earlier. I have also used chunking the task when doing projects in CLS because these projects usually take a decent amount of time. Chunking the Task has helped me because i am a visual and kinesthetic learner. It allows me to write out what I need to do, and see it when I hang it in my room as a reminder.

Putting it All Together: Course Matrix is very helpful because it also allows me to make a plan for a bigger task at hand. I used this technique in my HST 102 class while preparing for a test, and also in CFS 388 for a paper. First, you write down what tasks you need to complete, followed by the materials required and the manageable parts. Then you decide when you will finish it, and some anti-procrastination strategies. For my CFS 388 paper, I divided it into sections to make smaller manageable parts, and gave myself a date to finish it by (earlier than the actual due date). My anti-procrastination strategy was Chunking the task. For my HST 102 test, I divided it to manageable parts by splitting up times to make the study guide. My "when" section was just the date of the test so I remembered when it was. My anti-procrastination strategy for this was just finding an easy place to study. Putting it All Together: Course Matrix is a good technique for me because it allows me to make a chart to look at (visual and kinesthetic) and makes it easier for me to break down into smaller sections. Both of these strategies are very similar to one another, and have been very successful for me, and that is why I continue to use them.