John Christian Ibita

Civil Engineering Board Exam Passer of November 2022
Master Plumber Board Exam Passed of July 2023


This was posted on CE Board Exam Study Group on February 11, 2023.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐔𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐌𝐲 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐 and Master Plumber last July 2023!!!
Balancing work with preparing for the Civil Engineering Licensure Exam / Master Plumber can be a difficult task, but smart time management strategies can make it a little easier. In this post, I will share my journey of how I managed to balance my work with my preparation for the licensure exam and how these time management strategies helped me achieve my goal.
𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠:
The first step to balancing work and preparation for the licensure exam was to organize my life. I started with a neat and tidy workspace, an up-to-date calendar, and proper naming conventions for my documents. Having everything in its place helped me to maintain a clear picture of what I needed to complete and when.
𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
Once I had everything organized, I started prioritizing my tasks. I identified the most important tasks related to my work and preparation for the licensure exam and worked on them first. This allowed me to be productive and efficient in my work.
𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹-𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴:
Setting clear goals for both my work and licensure exam preparation was essential. I identified my end goal, which was to successfully pass the licensure exam and continue to excel in my work. I then worked on the important tasks required to accomplish my goal, avoiding wasting time on unimportant ones.
𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
Having strong communication skills allowed me to make my plans and goals clear to my coworkers. This helped them to see the bigger picture and understand how their efforts affected my end goal. I also communicated clearly with my colleagues, delegating tasks when necessary, so that I could focus on the most important task first.
𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭:
To keep track of everything I needed to do, I created task lists. This helped me to avoid forgetting anything important and saved me from spending all day thinking about what I needed to do next. Additionally, I used project management tools to keep track of my tasks and projects, which allowed me to monitor how they were progressing.
𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭:
I was careful not to overload myself with work, as working long hours or skipping breaks could sometimes improve productivity in the short term but lead to decreased productivity in the long run.
𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
The delegation was crucial in allowing me to complete more work faster. I delegated tasks that I could not handle and focus on tasks that I could do well. This allowed me to succeed at a few tasks rather than attempting and failing at many.
𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭:
Last but not least, keeping stress levels in check was a huge part of my time management strategy. I found ways to manage my stress levels, such as exercising, meditating, or just taking a break when needed, to ensure that I remained focused and productive.
In conclusion, by using these smart time management strategies, I was able to balance my work with my preparation for the Civil Engineering Licensure Exam and ultimately achieve my goal. If you're facing a similar situation, I hope these strategies will help you achieve your goals too