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The 5 minute guide to managing your time at university| | | Make it visible | | Carry a diary or pocket planner and write in all deadlines and meeting dates as you get them. Transfer them to a wall planner, along with other significant dates like tutorials, meetings, exams, birthdays, social events. Or use a simple term planner grid. This makes your busy times instantly visible. More detailed advice | | Get yourself organised | | Use a simple system - for instance, buy a box file for each module and use it for lecture notes, reading lists, notes from reading, essay titles, small books etc. Keep on top of referencing by including author, title, year and page number as you make notes from books, journals and other resources. More detailed advice | | Learn to prioritise | | Work out what really needs to be done now (e.g. coursework deadlines, preparing for seminars) and what can be left till later (e.g. extra background reading, rewriting lecture notes). It’s often better to spend time on thinking about what you’ve just read rather than reading one more book. More detailed advice | | Be better informed | | Regularly check your email, mailboxes, any course VLEs and noticeboards. Don’t waste time worrying if you’re uncertain about anything – ask people who know (for instance your tutors, dept secretaries, study advisers, course reps). More detailed advice | | Plan to get started | Back to top | Have a plan for the times when you can't get going. Make a list and start with easy tasks to get you underway. Break down large tasks into small targets. If you’re worried that you still haven’t read enough, write a first draft anyway and fill in gaps later. More detailed advice | | Stay motivated | | Plan something to look forward to when you finish a piece of work (a computer game, long ‘phone call, gym session, chocolate bar etc). Keep your ultimate goal in mind – to get the degree you deserve. More detailed advice | | Know yourself | | Think about when you study best (morning, afternoon, evening). Decide your best times for study in advance – keep times when you’re less academically focused for other activities (paid work, shopping, fitness, socialising etc). More detailed advice | | Keep focused | | Emails, texts and bored friends can eat up your study time. Mute the ‘phone, close the email, and decide a time when you can tell friends and family that you’ll be free. More detailed advice | | Have a life | | You shouldn’t need to study 24/7, and if you try to you’ll resent your study time and (worse) make yourself ill. Plan the times you're going to study, and when you're not. Keep time free for fun, friends, family, fitness…and sleep! More detailed advice | | And last but not least… | | Expect the unexpected | Back to top | Printer cartridges always run out five minutes before your deadline, cars have special sensors which detect when you’re late and break down… in short, the dog is always going to eat your homework. Build ‘emergency time’ into your study schedule – if you don’t need it, it’s extra time for you. More detailed advice | |
>>> Next page: Planning your time
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Learning Areas 
There are ten brief tips, all linking to more detailed advice in this website and elsewhere. Use the list on the right to jump straight to particular tips, or scroll down to browse the whole list. You can also download a list of tips in a