Vuochlay Kry
ENG 111-ENF 3
Dr. Dollieslager
02/16/16
Multitasking and Time Management
What does multitasking mean? Multitasking means the ability to do several things at the same time. Is it an idea to be a multitasker? Why or why not?What does multitasking ralate to time management? Let’s take a look the following paragraphs.
According to Sarah D. Sparks, there are more than six types of media that 13-to 18-year-olds use simultaneously outside of school. The result of the tendency “to pay continuous partial attention” to everything is having difficulty concentrating deeply on anything. According to researchers cited in the article, the brain can’t “be two places at once”. It takes longer to “ multitask ” than it would take to do individual tasks one after the other. Having to make a choice affect multitask: bottleneck in the prefrontal cortex—the decisionmaking part of the brain—that delays the second task. Multitaskers performed worse on memory and attention tests than those who do one thing at a time. Students who received eight text messages scored more than 10 percent lower on the test, about the equivalent of a full letter grade. Students who answer the texted questions within five minutes answered 75 percent or fewer correct on the test, and students who held off five minutes or more scored 85 percent correct. When a text message or email alert goes off, the student has to switch attention to the phone or computer, read and understand the message, respond and then return to the textbook. So the effect of a reader’s attention when reading is interrupted to take a phone call, email or text message is distraction. The original marshmallow test: researchers tested preschoolers' self-control by asking them to hold off eating one marshmallow for 15 minutes in exchange for two sweets at the end of the wait. Fewer than one-third of the 4-year-olds tested had the self-control to wait, but those who did showed academic and social success in the years that followed. Texting seems to have become the new "marshmallow test" for older students, and with similar results. I thought, people are multitaskers. People shouldn’t be taught this ability. Because it wastes time to do multitask in once time and also people cannot do multitasks well at a time , according to Sarah D. Sparks, “ Studies on Multitasking Highlight Value of Self-Control ”, It takes longer to “multitsk” than it would take to do individual tasks one after the other.
My experience as a multitasker, while I was doing math exercises, I like to listen to music and sometimes talking on the phone with my parents. Why I like to do that? Because listening to music makes me feel good, so it’s easier to recall and understand what I have learned. I like to talk on the phone with my parents, so that I won’t feel homesick and lonely.
In a 1954 speech to the Second Assembly of the World Council of Churches, former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was quoting Dr J. Roscoe Miller, president of Northwestern University, said: "I have two kinds of problems: the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent." .This "Eisenhower Principle" is said to be how he organized his workload and priorities. Important activities have an outcome that leads to us achieving our goals, whether these are professional or personal. Urgent activities demand immediate attention, and are usually associated with achieving someone else's goals. They are often the ones we concentrate on and they demand attention because the consequences of not dealing with them are immediate. There are four strategies describe our activities: quadrant of crises, quadrant of quality, quadrant of distraction, and quadrant of waste. Quadrant of crises mean important and urgent. This part is stress. For example: I have a test tomorrow, I haven’t read the chapter. I have my math online test tonight and my essay due date tomorrow, I haven’t started yet. Quadrant of quality means important but not urgent. It’s flow. It means, we do it with comfortable feeling not stress, have enough time things properly not urgent. Example: I have a test next week, notes already written for test and lecture, and also review it. Quadrant of distraction means not important but urgent. Like phone calls, email and texts .Quadrant of waste means not important and not urgent. This part is just entertainment, make us feel happy and enjoyable in life. Like playing games, partying, over-sleeping, TV, and social media.
As a college student, I have to do and return my assignments on time. I never return my tasks late. Even though I never miss my assignments, but I have a really bad habit of finishing assignments. I always finish my assignments last minute. For example: I knew my math online test and homework due date last night and I have a whole week spring break to finish it. But I did not do it. I wait until yesterday evening then started it. I just finished two hours early before due date. On my spring break, I did not learn nothing. I watched a TV show and a Netflix, talked on the phone with my parents and friends, and played social media. I think I am living in quadrant 2 and 4. After I have learned and read time management on Mindtools website, I am trying to change my habit to quadrant 2 (Q2). I choose “To do list” to move myself to Q2.
In conclusion, time management is really useful in a lifetime, because we know what we have spent time for, and what our spending time is it useful or waste time. It is really important to learn and know about time management, so that we know what we have done every single day and what we have to do to catch our goal success.
Work Cite
Spark, Sarah D. "Studies on Multitasking Highlight Value of Self-Control."Education Week. N.p., 15 May 2012. Web. 05 May2016.
Mueller, Steve. "Stephen Covey's Time Management Matrix Explained."Planet of Success. N.p., 09 Oct. 2015. Web. 05 May 2016.
"Time Management: Beat Work Overload. Be More Effective. Achieve More."Time Management Skills and Training from MindTools.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 May 2016.