Are you on top of things? Or playing catch up?
Published on 26 April 12
Time management – it isn’t a task that sounds easy, and that’s because it isn’t. You really have to work on it to get it right.
An important part of your University education is learning to plan, and use your time sensibly. The number of simultaneous demands being made upon you not just academically, but at home, balancing part time work, sport commitments and social activities – it all adds up.
Success is not just about intelligence, but about how you approach all the opportunities that University life affords, and how you use your time. Learning about improving memory, motivation, concentration and dealing with stress are equally as important as learning how to write an essay or sit an exam.
Luckily there is a lot of information, advice and guidance available to help you get there. And when you crack it? The benefits are endless.
These are not just study skills but life skills – habits developed at University will affect all aspects of your future.
Under pressure?
You might be catching on to this a bit late; it’s easy at the start of term to forget how quick deadlines come up, to see friends posting photos of nights out on Facebook, or not turning up to lectures and think everyone is relaxed and in the same boat. It can be a bit of a nasty shock when you realise just how close exams and dissertation deadlines are, and maybe even just how much your peers have been studying.
It’s good to be aware of pressure, and to be motivated to work hard and put your best in. Just don’t let pressure take over.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you need to talk to someone. Your Academic Advisor is here to help you, or perhaps you feel comfortable going to a particular tutor or lecturer. The Student Guidance Service is open every week day if you want to get independent help outside of your faculty, and the Students' Union also has an independent Advice Centre. The University offers a free and confidential counselling service, or simply check the back of your student card for the number for Nightline – the confidential listening service.
It might feel like a drastic step, asking for help, but consider the alternative. These services exist for a reason, you aren’t the first student to need support and you won’t be the last. Make sure you take full advantage of the help that is on offer.
Five steps to getting on top things:
- Take a deep breath. Stop procrastinating and thinking you can make a fresh start tomorrow. Decide to make changes, and make them now.
- Be realistic. Fill in a calendar or diary, making sure you have marked in every deadline, every exam and every commitment you know you have coming up.
- Visit the Study Skills website and run through the essentials – find out where you are doing well and get advice on where to make improvements.
- Talk to someone, today. Listen to them. Follow their advice.
- Be proud of yourself, look forward with positivity at what you can achieve, and stop dwelling on any past mistakes or lost time. What gets rewarded gets repeated.