Time Management

"Time management is the skill which above all others can make the difference between graduating and drop out.” - Ruth Pickford and Sally Brown, Assessing Skills and Practice (London: Routledge, 2006), 47.

The importance of good time management practices in Higher Education is widely acknowledged. However these are rarely taught or explored formally during degree programmes, although many students find effective time management increasingly challenging. Modularisation and split Finals now make good time management practices imperative for success from the start of a student's career. There are more students studying part-time, at a distance, or with additional responsibilities. In addition, there is the easy accessibility of distractions such as social networking sites and mobile phones.

At the University of Reading, we are undertaking research with students, academics and support staff into study resources which support and develop effective time management practices. Among the questions we shall be seeking to answer are:

• What are the central practices that characterise effective time management?
• How do needs differ amongst different student communities? (e.g. 18-22 year-olds, mature students, postgraduates, part-time students etc)
• What are the best ways to deliver advice on time management practices?
• Which strategies are effective with particular issues such as procrastination, or dealing with distractions?

Using a practice-led approach, the results of our research will contribute to an evidence base for learning developers and other academic practitioners, and enable the  development of effective peer-reviewed resources to support good time management practices for students.

For advice for university students on developing effective time management, please click here. 

For information for teaching staff and learning developers, including a list of free-to-download resources and more details of our research on time management, please click here.