By Dave Masaitis
In Motion Staff Writer
One of the most commonly used, but rarely accepted excuses across campus is, “I didn’t have time.”
Most veterans would kindly remind people that everyone gets the same 24 hours. For this month’s column, a couple more experienced veterans at DSC offer key time management tips that keep them successful.
Former Army Staff Sergeant Norman King quips, “Why put off to tomorrow, what you could accomplish today?” King favors keeping a well-organized calendar and employing a backwards-planning strategy from it. He says a good student should start with deadlines and plan backwards to ensure that enough time is allotted for all of the tasks he has to complete.
King has determined that this leads to a strong habit of punctuality, citing the old adage, “If you’re early, you’re on time and if you’re on time, you’re late.”
Lee Gordon served more than 20 years as a Navy Special Operations Corpsman and for him time management starts with personal priorities.
“Accept responsibility for what you’ll do, and what you won’t do,” he says, adding that he favors a policy of evaluating his daily performance to ensure that he is maximizing his usage of time. He also thinks more students should evaluate their study habits and seek mentorships to improve them.
King advises, “KISS. Keep It Simple Stupid. Figure out what is important to you. Find a focus.”
He stresses that students need to find a driving purpose behind their education because it is much easier to manage time and take college seriously when you’re there for the right reasons.
Both men speak of the importance of keeping priorities in order, employing a backwards planning strategy and refining study habits to use time more efficiently. But King also cautions, “Make sure to plan time to sleep as well. Folks in the military may demonstrate how to run on four hours, but this is college.”
Planning adequate sleep time is usually just as important as studying hard.
These are all worthy points from veterans who manage their time well, but the next time you feel like saying, “I didn’t have time,” just remember that nobody has time for that excuse either.
Writer’s Note: Veterans! Don’t forget that Nov. 11 is Veteran’s Day. Take time to reach out to your brothers and sisters from your time in and remind them that you still care. Gov. Rick Scott also postponed his Veteran’s Day visit to Daytona Beach.
If you have questions, or an idea for the column, contact Dave at david_masaitis@daytonastate.edu