New year, new term, new resolution: this year I won’t be writing that essay/lab report/ assignment at three in the morning on the day it is due. This year I won’t fall into the trap of asking for extensions only to find that the extra few days I gained for one piece of work eats into the time I need for the next.
This year I won’t envy those people who manage to find time for sport or Students’ Union activities and still get their work in before the deadline. This year I will manage my time better.Sounds familiar? Have you been there and done that and somehow still find yourself in the same situation? Here are some suggestions to help you achieve that aim.
1. Find your study ‘flaws’
First of all, ask yourself some questions to help identify how you work and find out where things do usually go wrong. Are you really a last minute person who prefers to work right up to a deadline? Do you find it impossible to start a piece of work early? Is it that you need the pressure of an impending deadline before you can actually start?
Some students do, and if you are happy working this way and you are getting the sort of results you think are appropriate, then recognise that this works for you. You do not have to change.
If, on the other hand, you find working like this is really stressful, that your marks are not as good as you think they should be, that nothing you hand in reflects your knowledge and understanding of the subject, then perhaps it is time for a change. 2. Make some time Having done that, try setting aside a regular spot every week to review where you are and what you have to do. Look at the week ahead, use a diary or print off a copy of your timetable and identify what you have to do and when you will do it. Try and stick to it. Or make a list of the jobs you have to do and, dividing a piece of paper into two columns, identify those that must be done in the following week and those that can wait for the week after. You may find that time-management tools that are available on our website (http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/academicsupport/materials/index.html) helpful. There are a timetable grid, day planners, a priority square and a ‘this week/next week’ list.
3. Produce a plan Use this regular period of time to look further ahead so that you can keep your eye on significant dates and events: the hall formal, the visit to the dentist, your mother’s birthday and your coursework deadlines. Write these on a wall planner that you can pin on your notice board so that you can refer to them easily. Make sure you have all your coursework deadlines clearly marked and your exam dates and notice their tendency to bunch together. This means that you have to decide how to manage several pieces of work at the same time. Do you know how you this situation? Some people can only focus on one piece; others prefer to work on two or three; some people will research for one assignment while writing another for which they have already completed their research. Think about it carefully and don’t just expect that everything will just get done; instead plan when you are going to start a piece of work.
4. Count back on the calendar It will help if you know how long it takes you to ‘write an essay’—and you need to think about what you include under that heading. Just the actual writing? Or do you count the gathering of material and the planning? If you know that it takes you, for example, two weeks to locate your materials for an essay, to read them and think through them and only then can you begin to write, then it should be possible to identify a date on which you will start by counting backwards from the date when you want to have your work completed. You can then mark this start date on the calendar. Make sure you allow time for preparing bibliographies, which are always time consuming - or even do them as you go along - and also for printing.
5. Get on with it!
Three years ago, I worked with a small group of students who were having difficulties with deadlines, and we identified that one of the crucial points was actually getting started. We then went on to work out why this was so hard for almost everyone. Frequently not knowing what was expected of us in a particular exercise caused the delay; if this is your problem then you need a conversation with a fellow student or the tutors involved so that you can begin the piece of work.
It may be something simple, for example, a piece of terminology you haven’t understood, or it could be something you have missed through absence.
Don’t put off trying to find out and don’t be afraid of asking. Another common problem was having a really big task on the list, like ‘write an essay’ and feeling this could not be started without clearing a substantial period of time.
We found that breaking the task down into smaller sections helped and then it became possible to identify an hour to visit the library to look for books, to gather together all the materials from lectures, to begin to plan what to say. And all these smaller tasks meant that the big one was already underway.
In summary… There are two simple key ideas here: firstly, anticipate: think ahead and prioritise to balance study time and leisure. Secondly, evaluate and amend: review your study patterns and learn what works for you. In addition, do remember to communicate: discuss your study commitments with friends, develop support networks and let your tutors know if you are having difficulties.
Most universities have study advisors who can and will help. For many people, the decision that they want to manage their time better is a crucial one, even if reading through advice like this can make it seem quite a burden. But taking time to plan ahead, so that you don’t get caught out by the unexpected piece of work you had failed to notice, generally means that you do feel less stress. Time to plan is not time wasted.
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