You may have been exposed to this idea before, but this time try to hear. There is a message that is trying to reach you, and it is important that it gets through loud and clear. The message?

Time management!

Time is elusive and tricky. It is the easiest thing in the world to waste—the most difficult to control. When you look ahead, it may appear you have more than you need. Yet it has a way of slipping through your fingers like quicksand. You may suddenly find that there is no way to stretch the little time you have left to cover all your obligations. For example, as a beginning student looking ahead to a full term you may feel that you have an oversupply of time on your hands. But toward the end of the term you may panic because time is running out. The answer?

Control!

Time is dangerous. If you don't control it, it will control you. If you don't make it work for you, it will work against you. You must become the master of time, not the servant.

Study hard and play hard is an old proverb, but it still makes sense. You have plenty of time for classes, study, work, and play if you use your time properly. It is not how much time you allocate for study that counts but how much you learn when you do study.

Too much wasted time is bad medicine. The more time you waste, the easier it is to continue wasting time. Soon, doing nothing becomes a habit you can't break. It becomes a drug. When this happens, you lose your feelings of accomplishment and you fall by the wayside. A full schedule is a good schedule.

Some students refuse to hear the time message. They refuse to accept the fact that college life demands some degree of time control. There is no escape. So what's the next step? If you seriously wish to get the time message, this chapter will give it to you. Remember—it will not only improve your grades but also free you to enjoy college life more.

Message 1: Time is valuable—control it from the beginning.

Time is today, not tomorrow or next week. Start your plan at the beginning of the term and readjust it with each new project. Thus you spread your work time around a little.

Message 2: Get the notebook habit.

Go and buy a pocket-size notebook. There are many varieties of these special notebooks. Select the one you like best. Use it to schedule your study time each day. You can also use it to note important dates, appointments, addresses, and telephone numbers. Keep it with you at all times.

Message 3: Prepare a weekly study schedule.

The purpose of the notebook is to help you prepare a weekly study schedule. Once prepared, follow the same pattern every week with minor adjustments. Sunday is an excellent day to make up your schedule for the following week. Write in your class schedule first. Add your work hours, if any. Then write in the hours each day you feel you must allocate for study. Keep it simple.

Message 4: Be realistic.

When you plan time for these things, be realistic. Don't underestimate. Overestimate, if possible, so that emergencies that arise don't hang you up. Otherwise your entire routine may get thrown off balance while you devote night and day to crash efforts. Message 5: Make study time fit the course.

How much study time you schedule for each classroom hour depends on four factors: (1) your ability, (2) the difficulty of the class, (3) the grades you hope to achieve, and (4) how well you use your study time. One thing, however, is certain: you should schedule a minimum of one hour of study for each classroom hour. In many cases, more will be required.

Message 6: Keep your schedule flexible.

A good schedule must have a little give so that special projects can be taken care of properly. Think out and prepare your schedule each week and do not become a slave to any inflexible pattern. Adjust it as you deem necessary.

Message 7: Study first—fun later.

You will enjoy your fun time more after you have completed your study responsibilities. So, where possible, schedule your study hours in advance of fun activities. This is a sound principle to follow, so keep it in mind as you plan your first schedule.

Message 8: Study some each class day.

Some concentrated study each day is better than many hours one day and nothing the next. As you work out your individual schedule, attempt to include a minimum of two study hours each day. This will not only keep the study habit alive but also keep you up to date on your class assignments and projects.

Few beginning freshmen can control their time effectively without a written schedule, so why kid yourself into thinking you don't need one? You do. Later on, when you have had more experience and you have the time-control habit, you may be able to operate without it. Of course the schedule is only the first step. Once you have it prepared, you must stick with it and follow it faithfully. You must push away the many temptations that are always present or your schedule is useless. Your schedule will give you control only if you make it work.

（摘自《大学英语自学教程(下)——全国高等教育自学考试指定教材》）