Planning your time efficiently is one of the keys to success whilst studying. It is imperative that you ‘do regular study’ in order to keep on top of your workload. It is advisable to plan your semester, in a planner or diary and plan on a daily, weekly and semester basis with the times and dates of lectures, tutorials, workshops, assignment deadlines and exams all noted.
- As a rule, try to start on tasks, assignments, background reading etc. as early as you can. The earlier you start, generally the earlier you will tend to finish. This gives you a greater ‘window of opportunity’ to get tasks completed on time and/or start on the next assignment.
- Do not procrastinate and put things off. There is always something you can be doing with regard to your studies, even if you are unsure of how to start. A good place to begin is with some background reading /general research of the topic. This can help to ‘fill in some of the gaps’ of your knowledge and expand your basic understanding as well as build your motivation and confidence.
- If you’re not sure how to approach an assignment, task or project, be sure to ask your fellow students, tutors, lecturers and other academic staff for help and try to do this as early on as possible.
- It may be helpful to organise your study periods into blocks of time. Studying, reading or working for a maximum of 50 minutes and then taking a short 10 minute break can often be more productive than hours and hours slaving away. Studying in these ‘timed blocks’ is a more sustainable, often more productive and less tiring way to work.