Making a Schedule

The Importance of Making a Schedule

The objection that some people raise to scheduling is that it cuts into their `freedom.' While it is true that following a schedule might take away from one's spontaneity, the claim that it makes one a slave is utterly false. The basis of this error is a misunderstanding-- all too prevalent these days-- of the nature of freedom.

There are really several kinds of freedom. The misunderstanding results from the confusion of two kinds of freedom.

First, the freedom to choose, is primarily what people have in mind then they talk of freedom or free will. This form of freedom is observable in the fact that, after we perform a free act, we know that we could have done other than we did. It means that a human person cannot be forced to perform any free act against his will. This is a negative form of freedom, because it is a freedom from external necessity (such as physical coersion).

Second and more important is the freedom to determine oneself, to form oneself and one's acts. The is a positive freedom because it is a freedom for one's goal or end. Implicitly present in this freedom is the existence of free will, so it is a higher form of freedom.

Nevertheless, a superficial understanding of this form of freedom might lead one to believe that it is the opposite of the first kind of freedom, and thus not freedom at all. This misunderstanding results from the fact that one must often set aside what one desires at any particular instant in order to be available for a greater good. For example, on a sunny spring day before exams, one might be tempted to set aside one's books and to enjoy a day in the park. One is certainly free, in the first sense, to do so. However, failure to study for a class often results in failure to pass that class or to learn as well as one should. So, if one studies, he becomes free to pass the exam, and his new knowledge enables him to better fulfill his goal in life.

All we have done here is to widen our perspective. Instead of restricting ourselves to a definition of freedom as `the ability to do whatever I want at any given instant,' we have taken as freedom's definition `the ability to do what I want with my life as a whole.' Do you see now? You cannot hope to achieve your goals in life unless you discipline yourself to order your acts in conformity with your goals. Otherwise, your acts will not get you anywhere; like a child who forever vacillates between two delightful treats held in opposite directions.

That's why scheduling is so important: it enables you to order your use of time so that you can achieve your goal in life.

(A more extensive discussion of freedom, that will include a funny story about a Russian airliner, is forthcoming and will be linked from this space.)

Making the Schedule

There is no set way to make a schedule. What we provide here are a few guidlines.

The first step is to find a piece of paper, or even a form, for recording your schedule. For your convenience, you might want to download the Augustine Club's scheduling form which requires a postscript printer. You can also use a piece of graph paper with each hour or half-hour of each day of the week alotted its own blocks. Now you can begin to block in your schedule. The page should come out looking something like this:

For best results, you should first schedule the set parts of your day. Your classes fit into this category because you should, even if you for some reason don't study on your own, try to attend all of them. (Keep in mind the principle that the purpose of attending class is to learn the subject. It is possible in some rare cases to have a professor who is so lousy that class is just a waste of time, so that it might be more profitable to study on your own.)

Along with your classes, you should try to schedule time before each lecture class to review your notes from the previous class, and after each class to clean up and review the notes from that class. If possible, you should try to schedule perhaps fifteen minutes for each of these, but any time you can spare is helpful. This practice may seem redundant, but it will improve your retention drastically. The review before the class will help you to make connections between material from the previous class and the material you are about to learn. The review after class will help you to digest and consolidate the material to which you have just been exposed.

Be certain to schedule personal essentials that are a bit more flexible, such as eating, sleeping, and exercising. Remember that you learn best when you are healthy. The average person needs at least seven hours of sleep a night. Exercise to keep your heart in shape so that it can supply the oxygen your brain needs; twenty minutes of some sort of aerobic exercise every other day should be enough. Health is more than the body and it is important to remember where you're headed in life, so also schedule your spiritual needs: church and prayer.

Intersperse your study periods throughout the week. Retention is aided by regular study. Cramming not only builds the bad habit of procrastination, but it is nearly useless for long-term retention. A rule of thumb is two hours of study for each hour of class, but this should be adjusted as you discover how much time each class requires. Remember that each minute of study during the day is one and a half times as effective as a minute at night.

Schedule recreational or free time.

Some general principles for making a schedule:

• Be realistic in scheduling. A schedule shouldn't be a unattainable wish list, but a real guide to help you plan your time well. You won't be doing yourself any favors if you get discouraged and give up.
• Be flexible in following your schedule. From time to time, things will come up that require you to deviate from your schedule.
• Evaluate your schedule periodically Every couple of weeks, look over your schedule to see how well it is serving you and how realistic it is. Revision may be necessary.