Managing your time

Get organised

It might sound obvious, but you need to know what you’re doing and when. So, start with your course timetable. Ensure you have all your classes, whether they are in person or online, booked into your diary. Next, add in your assignment deadlines. Finally, note down your other weekly duties and responsibilities, such as clubs, hobbies or family time. This way, you can easily see what time you have left over for independent study – and socialising, of course!

Work out what your priorities are

It can be quite overwhelming when you have a range of deadlines, but try to prioritise your work. For example, if you have two essays due in a particular month, tackle the one with the earlier deadline first. And always look at assignment weightings - that means what percentage of your final mark is determined by that piece of work. If your presentation is worth 10% of your module mark but your essay is worth 50% adjust the amount of time and effort you spend on each piece of work accordingly.

Think ahead

It’s easy to get caught up in the here and now, but if you can plan on your entire semester, you will find it easier to meet your deadlines. Your deadline might seem a long way off, but it will be here sooner than you think. Why not use a table, a Gantt chart or a bullet journal to plan your time? Explanations and templates can be found on the Skills for Learning Independent Learning & Time Management web page.

Avoid procrastination

Try to avoid procrastination and start with the hardest job you need to do. Taking this approach will help remove that dread of completing a difficult task. If you’re really not looking forward to reading that journal article, get it out of the way first thing in the morning. You’re guaranteed to feel better for it.

Use the help available

The Library Academic Support Team has compiled a range of tips and resources to support you in the Independent Learning and Time Management web page including the Assignment Calculator, which allows you to plan out the time you have available to spend on a particular piece of work.

Attend a workshop

Look out for Skills for Learning workshops on time management (and lots of other skills) - book via MyHub.

Seek further support

It can be hard to manage your time alone. Speak to your friends and colleagues about the strategies they use. Talk to your academic advisor for more advice. And finally, come along to our friendly Skills for Learning Drop ins and Study Cafés to receive support from the Library Academic Support Team in a friendly and helpful environment. These run on regularly and are bookable via MyHub.

Orginally published October 2021; updated March 2022 and October 2023.