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FAAD Time Management Module

Prioritizing Tasks

We've worked our way through creating plans, lists, and tracker—but, how do you know what to prioritize when everything feels important?

In this section, we'll talk about how you can figure out which tasks are the most important, and which tasks you should finish first.

The best method for you will depend on your personal preferences and the specific requirements for your program or your course, but it's important to try different strategies to see what works!

How to Prioritize Homework and Studying

Watch the video below for a quick introduction on how you can prioritize various assignments and studying sessions throughout the term.

How To Prioritize Homework and Studying by GVSU Academic Coaching

Key Stratgies to Prioritize Tasks

We all have unique circumstances and different styles when it comes to prioritizing our tasks.

A few strategies you might consider include prioritizing based on:

  • Deadlines: If you have tasks that are due this week, it's a good idea to tackle those first. Completing tasks on time is an important way to build trust with others, and it helps you avoid potential penalties or negative consequences for missing deadlines (e.g. a zero on a test, a late penalty of 5% on assignments, etc.)
  • Importance: Certain tasks will be more important than others. Think about the impact each task will have on your goals and prioritize accordingly.
  • Effort: Some tasks might require more time and energy than others. In these cases, it might make more sense to tackle the time-consuming task first so you can get it out of the way and move on to less demanding tasks.
  • Your energy level: If you find you have more energy and focus at certain times of the day, consider scheduling your most important tasks during those times to make the most of your productivity.

Monitoring Your Progress

It's important to check in with yourself through the term to make sure your schedule reflects your values and the goals you want to achieve during the term.

Some things to consider include:

  • Setting aside time each day to review whether your scheduling is working and to see if you've formed new habits.
  • Looking at your weekly schedule or daily task list to see if tasks are broken down for assignments and exams prep. 
  • Checking if you overestimated or underestimated how much time it took to complete tasks. Are some activities taking up more time than needed?
  • Checking if you ranked tasks appropriately on your daily task list.
  • Assessing which activities can be reduced in order to help you better meet your goals.
  • Asking yourself: How well you are dealing with your particular time management issues, for instance: are you managing to fight procrastination? How well are you dealing with distractions?  

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