Do you need help developing time management skills?
Monday, 16 September 2024
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Successful time management can be difficult to achieve, but there's lots of resources to provide help.
Increasingly our lives are getting busier and more complex, and successfully managing all the tasks you have to achieve is a key skill for both study success and accomplishments in other realms.
With study, work and family responsibilities many of us find it hard to keep things in balance
It's important to have a reasonable expectation of how long each task you need to tackle will take. Whether it's remembering to do the weekly shopping, making enough time to read journal articles or getting enough sleep. Most things take a little bit longer than we expect.
Most people will have other responsibilities beyond studying, ranging from caring for younger and older family members, work commitments, volunteering and social activities. We often hear people exclaim "There's not enough hours in the day", but since we don't have the power to create more time, all we can do is manage how we spend that time.
Check out the Tip Sheet on maintaining balance .
Use a Semester Planner to work out when you'll be studying
A semester plan shows important study related dates during a semester. It allows you to keep track of what assessments are due and what they’re worth – at a glance. It helps you manage your time more effectively by showing you the peak study load times.
Take a look at a Tip Sheet on planning out your semester, and download a Wall Planner to mark out your key dates.
Plan out your week to make sure everything fits in
It's not just studying you need to fit into your life, success comes when you create a balance between studying, catching up with friends and family, making tasty meals, playing computer games and watching television.
It helps to work out what is non-negotiable and what is optional. We've created a 10 point plan to help you keep it all in balance.
Download a Tip Sheet on planning your week.
Further reading
There's lots of great books about time management, here's a few that have been highly praised.
Time Wise: Powerful habits, More time, Greater joy by Amantha Imber
Getting Things Done: The art of stress-free productivity by David Allen
Deep Work: Rules for focused success in a distracted world by Cal Newport
How to be a Productivity Ninja by Graham Allcott