How Long Does It Take to Learn Guitar

How Long Does It Take to Learn Guitar Suzy S. Beginning guitar lessons can be exciting!   But if youre expecting to wake up the morning after your first lesson and suddenly have killer technique, think again.   So how long will it really take to learn?   Unfortunately, theres no straightforward answer.   Check out Beverly Hills instructor Adam S.s take on the frequently asked question: How long will it take me to learn how to play a song? Its a common question I get from many of my beginner students. The answer is different for everyone, but I always preface the fact that it comes down to practicing.   I strongly recommend practicing for a minimum of 15 minutes each day.   That way, you will definitely start to see improvement within a short amount of time â€" usually within a few weeks. For beginners, I recommend starting out by learning the basic open chords.   These chords are: A, A minor, B7, C, C7, D, D minor, D7, E, E minor, E7, F, G and G7. With the knowledge of just these 14 chords (or even just some of them), you will be able to play literally hundreds of songs!   A ton of pop, rock and blues songs utilize the basic open chords.   Most beginner guitar method books should have a chord chart (usually in the back section) that will show you a visual image of how to play them all. This is my BEST advice for beginners, and I see positive results every time. Keep it simple: learn the basic open chords and practice them for 15 minutes per day.   Each week it will get easier and soon you will be able to play an actual song by knowing a few of the open chords.   In time, you may even be able to write your own songs! Adam S. teaches bass guitar, guitar, music performance, music recording, music theory, and songwriting to students of all ages in Beverly Hills, CA. Adam joined the TakeLessons team in June 2012, with over nearly 20 years of experience teaching. Sign up for lessons with Adam, or visit TakeLessons to search for a teacher near you! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by blvesboy.

Should I Go to University of Pittsburgh

Should I Go to University of Pittsburgh Nate is a Pittsburgh-based tutor specializing in science tutoring. He is studying psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. Interested in attending the University of Pittsburgh? Nate shares his thoughts on his college experience: Describe the campus setting and transportation options. Nate:At some universities, like the one I go to (Pitt), they give you free public transportation with your tuition, so you can explore the city for free. The campus itself is very compact, but the more city vibe is about 15 minutes away. Pitt is in a neighborhood named Oakland, and that itself is more residential, with two busy streets running through them. How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Nate:Ive had a great experience with the professors, advisors, and TAs. Everyone is accessible by email and professors and TAs are required to have 3-5 office hours a week, so they always have times to meet during the week. The OMETs at the university are a teaching evaluation system, so it holds the professors accountable for being available to their students. How would you describe the dorm liferooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Nate:My experience at college was shaped by the residence life during my freshman year. I met about 80% of my best friends for the next four years on my floor, and my resident assistant always kept us busy and on task, while also doing fun things for us. The dining hall was exceptional. Some kids found the meals to get repetitive after eating there day after day, but personally, I was able to find different options throughout the week that always kept it appealing. Greek life and other student organizations, such as the Pitt Pathfinders, made socialization a breeze, incase one was having a hard time finding a social outlet to express themselves. Which majors/programs are best represented and supported? Nate:I am a bit biased because I am a pre-medicine student, but I think pre-med and engineering are the best represented and supported, mostly because thats how Pitt contributes most to the current science literature. Although, all of the programs are very competitive and supported. I chose pre-medicine for a variety of reasons, but I chose to do it at Pitt because of the great resources found within the UPMC healthcare system. They provided many wonderful opportunities such as committed volunteer hours, hypothesis-driven research, and a chance to shadow some of the best physicians in medicine. How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Nate:For me, it was very easy to meet people and become close friends immediately. I had a lot of friends from high school come to my college for freshman year, but I was able to branch out and meet people from backgrounds I was never accustomed to before. Greek life does make it easier to meet people, along with the many other organizations offered at the university. I had an easy time meeting people because the social atmosphere in my freshman year was incredible. Greek life, although it is the center of college for some people, was not the main social aspect at my college. It was only about 10% of the student population, so it definitely wasnt a make-or-break decision whether you joined Greek life or not. How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services? Nate:The career center is a great resource that I have never really utilized much, but they offer many services such as resume review, mock interviews, and internship opportunities. There is a tremendous amount of student support services, like the stress relief zone and student counseling. Many reputable companies do recruit on campus. In the nearby downtown area, there are around six Fortune 500 companies and even more Fortune 1000 companies that tend to recruit in the area. How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Nate:There are 15 libraries on campus, and the largest library on campus is by far the most popular. The libraries are typically not overcrowded, except during finals week when everyone crawls out of their houses to cram for finals. During that time, there are many other buildings on campus to be explored to find study spaces. There is definitely enough space to accommodate everyone, if that is a major concern. Describe the surrounding town. Nate:The surrounding town of Pittsburgh is incredible, and many students tend to fall in love with it in the first year of college. I would definitely take advantage of the free transportation to explore as much as you can during the four years. Each neighborhood is known for its own unique specialty. There are also movie theatres and shopping venues. Our football stadium is also located downtown, so kids frequently travel downtown, either for sports or live shows at the theatres. However, if youre not really feeling up to traveling out of the neighborhood every weekend, there are plenty of fun things to do right in the neighborhood where campus is located. How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Nate:The undergraduate population at Pitt is about 19,000 students, which I think is a small enough school to have intimate relationships and be able to walk down the street and see people you know, but it was also large enough to avoid people you dont like, if it was really necessary! Our student to faculty ratio is 14:1, so the class sizes have never been that troubling. About 7% of the classes were 100 or more students, and 58% of the classes were 30 or less students, so it wont be that much of a change from high school. For those big classes, they do break it down into smaller review sections once a week. Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Nate:One professor I really loved was my organic chemistry teacher. The class material was obviously very loaded and pretty difficult, but she made it very manageable and was very understanding to the students who were having a hard time and were making an effort. She was very accessible and was very thoughtful when writing letters of recommendations for her students and TAs. She really made the class enjoyable, even though the material was enough to make some students hair turn gray. Check out Nates tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

The Five Tibetan Rites

The Five Tibetan Rites An Introduction to the Five Tibetan Rites ChaptersWhat Are the Main Principles of the Five Tibetan Rites?What Are the Benefits of the Five Tibetan Rites?The Five Positions that Make Up the Five Tibetan RitesThe Five Tibetan Rites in a Session“Yoga does not just change the way we see things, it transforms the person who sees.” - B.K.S. IyengarYoga is an activity that requires a lot of discipline to get the maximum benefit from it and some practices are easier than others.Did you know that there are around 45 different types of yoga, each with its own principles, practices, and rituals?The Five Tibetan Rites are part of it.Do you know that the Five Tibetan Rites are? What are the basic principles? Can you practise them every day? What are the benefits?In this article, we’ve got all the answers to your questions. CarleyYoga Teacher 5.00 (5) £100/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LynnYoga Teacher 4.89 (9) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GenYoga Teacher £45/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors J ulieYoga Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AliceYoga Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LauraYoga Teacher 5.00 (6) £70/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors UndramYoga Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LottieYoga Teacher £10/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhat Are the Main Principles of the Five Tibetan Rites?When we talk about yoga, you should know that it’s neither a sport nor a discipline, but rather an entire lifestyle and there are rules to follow. Yoga, like the Five Tibetan Rites, is for everyone as long as they understand the main principles. (Source: jonathansautter)Yoga focuses on respecting others and yourself.The Five Tibetan Rites is a system of exercises, poses, and rituals that involves five different positions in a particular order which is said to improve how your life force energy circulates. It includes the following five positions:Tibetan SpinProne To Upward Staff PoseRabbit To Camel PoseStaff To Upward Plank PoseUpward Dog To Downward DogIt’s essential that you do these 5 steps in this order.Why?There’s a cyclic effect on your breathing, emotions, and insides.You need to also do the Five Tibetan Rites regularly. It’s recommended that you do them:In the morning or evening. You can do them during the day but you won’t get the greatest benefits in terms of mindfulness.Between 3 and 21 times. The more you do it, the more you’ll enter a state of mindfulness.Every day if you can or at least 4 or 5 times a we ek.Not more than once a day.You should also work on your mindfulness regularly. This allows you to connect with yourself and enjoy the full benefits of the exercises.So what are the benefits?What Are the Benefits of the Five Tibetan Rites?It’s been shown that those who do yoga are in better shape due to:Poses, which act on your body and energy.Breathing, which acts on your wellbeing.Meditation, which acts on your mind. The Five Tibetan Rites can benefit the body, mind, and spirit! (Source: leninscape)So what are the benefits of the Five Tibetan Rites?  Are they the same as yoga?There are some particularly important benefits if you do them regularly:More energyMore vitalityImproved healthImproved wellbeingAs you may know already, the energy in our body culminates at the chakras. There are 7 main chakras which are the main junctions for your energy. This is why we often talk about “internal energy” or “life force energy”.The Five Tibetan Rites can stimulate these chakras. By stimulating these areas, you can make them more active and slow the ageing process, which can have physical and mental benefits.In terms of health, it may seem surprising, but your body functions better thanks to yoga. Here are the main physical benefits of the Five Tibetan Rites.Better breathing.Flexibility, strength, and tone.Improved balance.Improved concentration.What do these benefits do for our health?It’s quite s imple. By breathing better, you oxygenate your body and mind better. Oxygenation leads to better rest and helps your body to work better. After all, your blood brings oxygen to your organs to make them work.The Five Tibetan Rites can help you become more flexible, toned, supple, and stronger.In what way can this improve your health?In almost every way!  By working on parts of your body that are usually inactive, you’ll be able to improve your body’s overall wellbeing. Furthermore, regularly moving can reduce the risk of cardiovascular issues.  Finally, when you finish the session, there’ll be a release of endorphins, leading to a feeling of satisfaction. Regularly doing this can ease pain, increase happiness, and improve your overall wellbeing.As you’ll have understood, the Five Tibetan Rites are good for your mind, body, and spirit!Check for the best yoga classes near me here.The Five Positions that Make Up the Five Tibetan RitesIf you regularly practise yoga, you’re prob ably familiar with the most common yoga poses like the Lotus or Dog pose. The downward dog is an important part of the Five Tibetan Rites. (Source: AndiP)Do you know the poses that make up the Five Tibetan Rites?The Five Tibetan Rites is a sequence of 5 different poses that you should repeat between 3 and 21 times.Here are the five poses that make up the Five Tibetan Rites:Tibetan SpinProne To Upward Staff PoseRabbit To Camel PoseStaff To Upward Plank PoseUpward Dog To Downward DogThe first pose, the Tibetan Spin, is quite simple. You just have to spin around. It’s as follows:Stand up with your arms out. Your right palm should be facing upwards and your left palm should be facing downwards.Now turn clockwise if in the Northern Hemisphere and anticlockwise if in the Southern Hemisphere.The objective of the Tibetan Spin is to use your magnetic field to work on your energy.Prone To Upward Staff Pose will help you breathe better. Here’s how you do it:Lie on the floor with your back straight.Place your hands under your buttocks to protect your lumbar (optio nal).Raise your head and legs as you breathe out.Lower your head and legs as you breathe in.The second Tibetan rite is to stimulate the Solar Plexus chakra.The Rabbit To Camel Pose is quite technical and you’ll need to work on it. Here’s how to do it:Kneel down.Place your palms on the back of your thighs.Dip your head so that your chin presses onto your chest as you breathe out.Lean backwards as far as you can without falling over and lift your chin upwards as you breathe in.This rite is to take the energy from the solar plexus chakra to the heart chakra while stretching your hips and your abdominal wall.The Staff To Upward Plank Pose isn’t for beginners either as you need to be flexible. Here’s how you do it:Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you.Place your hands by your pelvis.Raise your pelvis upwards as you breathe in and bend your knees so that your shins are vertical but your thighs are horizontal.Move back to your original position with your bac k straight and your legs outstretched as you breathe out.This rite works on your muscles, particularly those in your shoulders, back, and buttocks.Finally, the Upward Dog To Downward Dog is the fifth of the Five Tibetan Rites. It is probably the most famous of yoga poses. You start this pose by sitting on your heels, then going onto all fours:Spread your legs as wide as your hips.Spread your hands as wide as your shoulders.From there, do as follows:Raise your pelvis while keeping your legs straight.Press your hands and feet into the floor while keeping your chin against your chest as you breathe out.Lower your pelvis, contracting your buttocks, and raise your head upwards as you breathe out.Upward Dog to Downward Dog can stretch your entire body and free your mind.You might have noticed how these exercises will make you more flexible and agile.So how do you put all these poses together for a whole session?The Five Tibetan Rites in a SessionIf you’re wondering how to do a yoga sess ion with the Five Tibetan Rites, in particular, you’ve come to the right place. Once you’ve learnt each of the poses involved, you’re ready to begin. Remember that regularly doing the Five Tibetan Rites is important and that you should:Do the Five Tibetan Rites regularly throughout the week.Repeat the five rites between 3 and 21 times each session.Make it either part of your morning or evening routine.Focus on your breathing during each pose. Whether alone or in a group, you should practise the Five Tibetan Rites regularly. (Source: janeb13)To do this, you might want to get help from professional yogis. You can find plenty of resources to help you plan a yoga session:Online yoga websites by yogis or personal trainers.Yoga learning resources.Yoga teachers on social media websites like Instagram.On Superprof, we have yoga tutors who can help you master the Five Tibetan Rites.Finally, to get the most out of your yoga session, don’t forget to split your session into three main parts.The introduction, where you will focus on mindfulness.The poses, where you’ll focus on breathing.The meditation and conclusion, where you’ll benefit from the earlier parts of the session.Good luck with the Five Tibetan Rites!

Online Smart Math Tutors

Online Smart Math Tutors Math has many topics and sub topics. Some of the well-known topics in math are number system, algebra, calculus, geometry, trigonometry and many more. Each topic has its own subtopics example, geometry has different sub topics such as symmetry, congruency, volume and areas etc. Each subtopic uses some basic mathematical operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Example 1: Simplify and solve for x in the equation 3x 4 = 26? Solution: Given equation is 3x 4 = 26. Here the unknown variable which needs to be solved for is x. First step: Adding 4 on both sides of the given equation. (3x 4) + 4 = 26 + 4. This gives 3x = 30. Now dividing both sided of the equation by 3. This reduces the given equation 3x/ 3 = 30 /3; x = 10. Hence the solution is x = 10. Example 2: Find the slant asymptote of the curve y = (x2 + 5x + 4)/(x+ 1)? Solution: Given is the curve y = (x2 + 5x + 4)/(x+ 1) Here the degree of the numerator is 2 and the degree of the denominator is 1. The degree of the numerator is greater than the degree of the denominator. The numerator can be factored as (x2 + 5x + 4) = (x + 4) (x + 1). The denominator is (x + 1) dividing gives (x + 4) (x +1)/ (x + 1) = x + 4. Hence the slant asymptote is y = x + 4.

6 Ways to Boost Creativity

6 Ways to Boost Creativity Are you looking for ways to improve your creative writing, drawing, musical composition,  or even analytical problem solving skills? Creativity is often seen as an innate talent, an ability reserved for artists. But  like most things, we believe creativity is  a skill that can be learned, practiced and nurtured. Imaginative thinking, original ideas and innovation are all incredibly useful skills for any of us to posses. How to boost creativity? How to  boost creative thought? We explore 6 different techniques that can help you or your child boost creativity. We hope you take away some practical tips and try applying some of these techniques to your own creative projects. 1. Reconceptualise The Problem Einstein once said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.” Researchers have found that creative people exhibit this discovery-orientated behaviour, and reconceptualise the problem before starting a creative task. When starting an art project for example, instead of thinking “I need to create a beautiful art piece to impress the class”, try re-visualising the problem from other angles first. Who are my audience? What inspires them? What feelings do I want to evoke? Try it yourself; you may end up with a more creative idea. This exercise is useful for a variety of different creative tasks, from statistical analysis, web design, musical composition to sculpture or creative writing. 2. Counterfactual Thinking Counterfactual thinking is when we think, “What might have been?” and practicing this has been shown to increase short-term creativity. I find this technique particularly useful as a creative writing exercise, or even as a reflective exercise - as it really helps to get your creative juices flowing! A funny example of this was seen on the TV show, The Big Bang Theory, where one character asks the other “In a world where Rhinoceroses are domesticated pets, who wins the Second World War?” Experiment with this technique yourself by thinking of a past event and re-imagining the outcome. You can employ an “additive mindset” by adding details to the event, or use a “subtractive mindset” by taking away details and thinking about how that changes the outcome. This technique is also useful for creative problem solving, adding or subtracting “what if?” scenarios and thinking about how this might affect the outcome. 3. Positive Thinking First of all, a negative mood can of course spur on creativity, for example think about the countless break-up songs that dominate our music charts. But for cognitive tasks such as decision-making, hypothesis testing etc. research  has found that a positive mood can improve creativity, as well as affect the approach we take when problem solving. Thinking happy thoughts/memories, smiling, laughing or exercise (although sounds clichéd), can boost activity in your prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex - the areas of the brain associated with complex cognition and emotion. 4. Create Psychological Distance Do you find that it always seems easier to solve someone else’s problem, than it is to tackle your own? It turns out that there’s an explanation for that. Research shows physiological distance occurs when you experience something as not happening here, now, to yourself. In other words, the further away a problem seems, the easier it is to solve. This psychological distance makes the problem less concrete, and more abstract to you. This distance makes it easier for you to form “unusual connections” and free yourself from assumed limitations. You can create psychological distance by changing your perspective, and look at the problem from another person’s perspective. I also came across another interesting study, which found that participants, who thought someone else would later use their work, came up with more creative ideas. In one experiment they told participants that their drawings would later be used by someone else to create a story. Consequently, the participants came up with much more “creative” drawings versus those who weren’t told this. When approaching a creative project, try thinking about how someone else might enjoy using or repurposing your creation! 5. Try Something New Approaching tasks out of habit can stunt our creative thought; the idiom, “creature of habit” comes to mind. But, I came across a really great article in the New York Times (I highly recommend the read!), which details the benefits of possessing “novelty seeking” traits, and how it is closely associated with creativity and overall well-being. These findings can be applied in many ways (as well as be considered with a pinch of salt.) I personally think if you are looking for an injection of creative thought, step out of your comfort zone and stretch yourself by trying something new. It could be anything from trying life drawing for the first time, exploring a new cycle route or experimenting with a recipe. Our life experiences contribute to our creative thinking and exposure to new things helps us to unlock a different side to ourselves. 6. Use Restrictions Creatively Did you know that Dr. Seuss wrote Green Eggs and Ham after betting that he couldn’t write a story using less than 50 words? Research shows that most of us take the path of “least resistance”. We tend to build off of existing concepts when brainstorming ideas, which could lead to less creativity as we rely on our past successes. Avoid becoming a “one trick pony” by restricting yourself, and send your brain into overdrive! For expert essay writers set yourself the challenge and try to write a short story in just 300 words? For artists try restricting yourself to two colours? For musicians why not write a melody using only a few chords? This limiting task could help you to discover a new approach or technique - which brings out your creative side. There are countless tips and studies out there, these are just a few that we found useful. Please share your own practical tips to boost creativity, in the comments below! We’d love to hear from you.

Phrasal Verbs and the Continuous Forms

Phrasal Verbs and the Continuous Forms Todays grammar video is about how to use phrasal verbs in the continuous forms (with -ing). In English we use present continuous to say something is happening now, at this moment. We use past continuous when a longer action in the past is interrupted by a shorter action. This weeks exercise is a good way to see if you can use the continuous tenses properly and introduces you to some new phrasal verbs.Watch the video and try the exercises below:Here is a list of the phrasal verbs to choose from: pay for, go after, look up, cheat on, point to, wrap upChoose the correct phrasal verb and put the verb in the correct tense in the sentences below.1. He is _____ ___ our dinner tonight, so I didnt bring my wallet.2. The evidence in the murder case ______ __ a political motive.3. I am _____ __ Christmas presents today.4. Did he ____ __ how much plane tickets to Hawaii are?5.  The companies new strategy is _______  _____ markets in China and Russia.6. We will _____ __ the meeting around 4PM.7 . The police are _____ ___ the lead suspect in the drug ring.8. You should not ____ __ an English exam.9. Have you already ______ ___ lunch?10. Everything in the article ______ __ poverty as the cause for crime.Thanks everyone! Yuri Manzhos 1. paying for 2. point to 3. wrapping up 4. look up 5. going after 6. go after 7. going after 8. cheat on 9. wrapped up 10. point to LOIEnglish Yuri, thanks for answering. Question #2: pointS to-be sure to add the s to the verb when it is in third person (he, she, and it) Question #6: wrap up-it means to finish or end Question #9: I think paid for is a better choice here. Wrapped up does make sense but usually it is specifically for things like meetings, negotiations, details, etc. Question #10. You had the same problem here as question #2. You forgot the s at the end of point. POINTS to.Thanks! LOIEnglish Rafayou are correct you can use wrap up in the literal meaning to cover something with paper or cloth. They wrapped the baby up in warm bla nkets before going outside. We are going to wrap up our Christmas presents today. The difference is that the preposition isnt necessary. It means the same to say, They wrapped the baby in warm blankets before going outside. We are going to wrap our Christmas presents today. LOIEnglish Rafa..good work. Question #3 can also be wrapping up. susana gonzalez 1. He is PAYING FOR our dinner tonight, so I didn’t bring my wallet.2. The evidence in the murder case POINTS TO a political motive.3. I am WRAPPING UP Christmas presents today.4. Did he LOOK UP how much plane tickets to Hawaii are?5. The companies new strategy is GOES AFTER markets in China and Russia.6. We will GO AFTER the meeting around 4PM.7. The police are GOING AFTER the lead suspect in the drug ring.8. You should not CHEAD ON an English exam.9. Have you already PAID FOR lunch?10. Everything in the article POINTS TO poverty as the cause for crime. LOIEnglish Susana you had a problem with question #5: is GOING AFTER it i s the present continuous form.

Lindsaydoeslanguages Portuguese stuff giveaway!

Lindsaydoeslanguages Portuguese stuff giveaway! Lindsaydoeslanguages is blogging about her World Cup Language Challenge and we’re reposting here to share with the entire italki Community. This blog post  originally was posted  on  Lindsaydoeslanguages.com  website. It only seems appropriate, what with my italki Language Challenge in Portuguese coming to a close ‘n all, to give away some lovely Portuguese stuff! The lucky winner will get a Teach Yourself Portuguese kit complete with 2 CDs and a book, a Collins Portuguese dictionary, and a Chambers Portuguese vocabulary book. I used these myself last summer to get to grips with enough Portuguese to take me on holiday and they are great! Fancy it? All you have to do is leave a comment with a reason to learn Portuguese and if you win, I’ll post the goodies out to you free of charge. Who knows? Your reason may even feature in my inevitable upcoming video 9 Reasons to Learn Portuguese! Leave a quick comment below for your chance to win! I’ll pick the winner at random on the 5th August. Good luck! Entry closes on August 4th at 23.59GMT. One winner will be picked at random and contacted via the e-mail linked to your Disqus profile. If you wish to be contacted via a different e-mail, please state this in your comment. I will post the goods to you from the UK so if you’re international, please be patient. I will contact the winner when I have dispatched the prize and announce the winner on the blog and/or YouTube if you give consent for me to do so. Thank you.

How to Improve Your Time Management Skills

How to Improve Your Time Management Skills Photo Via: Pixabay.com 1. Get Organized First and foremost, when dealing with time management, you need to get organized. This means your workspace (or living space in general) need to be clear of clutter. Cluttered spaces lead to cluttered minds, and it’s easy to lose track of items in a mess. The more organized you are, both at work and at home, the more likely you are to remember your tasks and to stick to them. Feeling organized goes a long way when it comes to time management, so this is the first step in managing your time effectively. 2. Schedule It’s important to stick to a schedule when beginning to manage your time. If you have deadlines coming up, schedule them out so you can stay on top of them. If you find that you’re working through lunch too often, schedule some downtime to grab a quick bite to eat. By creating and adhering to a schedule, you’re training yourself to stick to a routine that’s going to work for you and will help you to understand how long it takes you to accomplish tasks so you can properly plan for future deadlines. 3. Prioritize This brings me to my next point: prioritize. When you’re dealing with time management, you need to consider which tasks are the most time-sensitive and begin with those. Running out of time is something that many dread, but when you prioritize, the chances of this happening decrease significantly. Take your tasks for the day, week, month and year and prioritize them based on due dates and length of time necessary to complete them. This way, you will have your deadlines scheduled far enough in advance so that there isn’t a chance of missing one. 4. Trial and Error When you’re trying to improve your time management skills, it’s essential that you remember not everything is going to work for you the first time around. In fact, there is a huge learning curve here. Time management is a process of trial and error in which you schedule your day one way to maybe find out later that it doesn’t work for you. You have to be flexible with your day-to-day and try new ways of organizing your day or of prioritizing your deadlines. There is no shame in failing, as you learn enough from those failures to implement new practices to help you succeed in the future. 5. Develop a Routine Over time, you’re going to develop a routine to help manage your time effectively. You might check your email first thing every morning, grab a quick breakfast and hit the ground running. Others might take a little “me” time in the morning before starting their day. Again, you’re going to come up with a daily routine that works for you. While you don’t want to deviate too much from this routine, you have to keep in mind that there are variables at play as well, so be strict, but also be fluid. 6. Allow for Change As mentioned above, there is always the potential for things to change. For example, you may have a last minute assignment come your way on a day that you have three other papers to write. These are going to be difficult days, that’s for sure. However, this is much more manageable when you’ve learned how to effectively manage your time. Give yourself an extra window of time every day for these circumstances. Shift things around in your day, reprioritize and reevaluate on an ongoing basis, because things change. So, you’re going to need to change with them if you want to improve your time management skills. Improving time management skills is difficult and takes quite a bit of effort, but it’s well worth it. Employers all over are placing more value on organizational skills, so enhancing your abilities to this end is going to benefit you in the long run. These six steps are a great beginning point when looking to improve your time management skills, but there is always room to go above and beyond and really focus on these skills in your day-to-day life. Before long, you’ll be effectively managing your time, leaving you much more time to do the things you love.