How to manage a busy timetable when studying for a degree
University gives students the opportunity to hone different skills that will be important throughout their studies and beyond. As well as learning all about your chosen subject, you will also develop time management skills that are essential for all different types of careers. Perfecting these techniques can ultimately help to set you up for success in the world of business. But these skills come more naturally to some than others. Either way, there are a few things everyone can do to help manage a busy timetable throughout your degree. Here are three tried and tested approaches.
Get your priorities straight
A typical university course will require you to juggle deadlines for several different modules simultaneously. To stay in control of your time, it’s helpful to make a timetable with due dates for each piece of coursework or exams. This way, you’ll be able to clearly see which pieces of work require more urgent attention, allowing you to split up your time accordingly.
It can also be useful to add any social or extracurricular commitments to your timetable, so you can see the weeks when you may have less free time to study. Make sure to regularly update your timetable so you can stay on top of any new tasks that crop up.
You’re not alone
Depending on the nature of your degree, you may find that you end up having very little contact time with your tutors. Outside of lectures and seminars, it’s ultimately down to you to do the necessary work to get to grips with the subject matter. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t support available.
Be sure to make use of your tutors outside of classes, particularly if they’re explicitly offering their time. Whether you go to them with a specific problem, or would just like them to expand on a certain topic, teachers will be more than happy to help you out so make the best use of them during your time at university. It will save you a lot of time and effort in the long run.
There’s a time and a place
Everyone will have different preferences for where they can work most productively. For some people, long stints in the library can be most effective, while others might prefer to have a dedicated study space in their room at home. And, of course, you may find a combination of different locations works best for your learning style.
Equally important as finding a suitable location is identifying the times of day when you’re likely to work most effectively. Picking the wrong time can see you staring at your textbooks for hours on end without getting very far at all – a demotivating process at the best of times.
Experiment with different times of day while working around your other commitments. And remember, while it was once seen as a badge of honour to pull all-nighters in the library, this won’t do your mental or physical wellbeing any favours. Try to rejig your schedule so you can work at sensible hours without compromising on a healthy sleeping pattern.
