Time Management

Why is Time Management Necessary?

Being a student is only one element in your life. You will also have other responsibilities which will demand your time: family, friends, work, sports, and parental duties will be an issue for many students.

Managing your time can be broken down into three major areas:

1. Planning Your Year
   Your Yearly Planner will provide you with an outline of important dates and deadlines, both academic and social. It will also act as a good visual aid that clearly identifies periods of time in which you have commitments and free time. Your planner should include Term Dates, Assignment Due Dates, Examination Times, Personal Events (birthdays, wedding, religious festivals, etc.)
2. Planning Your Week
   The Weekly Planner is intended to bring the activities listed in the Yearly Planner into focus. Each of your study commitments will require preparation and an allocation of time to complete specific tasks. Keep two weekly lists:
   • Must Do: contains items that must be completed during the week.
   • Wish To Do: things you would like to do if time permits.
3. Planning Your Working Hours
   What's available? In order to calculate what time is available to you for study you need to work out what time isn't available for study. Use the table in the time management document (downloadable below) to work out how much of your time is already fixed, and how much you can allocate to study. Don’t forget sleep!

Allocating Your Study Time

Schedule exactly when you intend to work in advance. Allocate your study time into the free areas of your timetable. Be aware of your study habits, ie. do you study better in the evening or the morning?

Time-saving tips

• USBs frequently malfunction, and students often lose their work. Back up your work on hard disk or CD.
• Expect things to take x2, x3, x4 or x10 longer than expected. Plan with this in mind and start early.
• See Student Learning Skills Worksheet 1 Written Assignments for time-saving tips on essay writing.
• Keep an ongoing note of all books and journals etc for use as references.
• Sign up for library info sessions on 'Refworks' and 'NaviGatePlus'.
• Network with students doing the same units either in study groups or by using Blackboard.
• Plan time to enjoy your friends and family. By being relaxed and maintaining a balanced lifestyle your UB time will be more efficient.

To learn more about this topic, download the PDF or Doc file below.

 Download Time Management (pdf, 132kb)      Download Time Management (Word doc, 221kb)