The second session of the Global Skills Study workshop series, ‘Time Means Success’, was held on 13 April 2022 in E3-G033 attended by students from different faculties.

In this workshop, students were shown how important time management skill is, both in their studies and in their everyday life. Students were introduced to the concept of time as a scarce resource and the importance of managing it well to successfully achieve their goals. To help students visualize the concept of prioritization, students working in pairs were given a jar, some sand, pebbles, and big stones, and were asked to work out different strategies to put all the items into the jar within the given time.  Students were then invited to reflect on the different strategies they used and the challenges they faced in the process. This hands-on activity helped the students learn to prioritize people, work, and study that are more important to them within the limited time they have in order to achieve the goals they set for themselves.  This led students to discuss different strategies for organizing, planning and prioritizing their homework, projects, and exams.  Students also learnt to distinguish the difference between ‘wants’ and ‘needs’, how to prioritize ‘needs’ before ‘wants, and how to delegate some of the ‘needs’ to other people who can help them so that they can focus and accomplish the ‘needs’ that only they can do. Students were given a set of revision planners for them to plan their daily homework, their exam revision, long-term projects, and essay writing. Through this experience, students gained a better understanding of the importance of time management – setting their priorities right, creating a timetable, and pacing their tasks as scheduled.  It is hoped that these strategies can help make students’ university life better organized, less stressful, and more successful.

Written by Joan Leong, ELC Senior Instructor