Einstein said ‘Time is an illusion.” It certainly is a fickle beast. Too little of it can be stressful (that racing feeling of thinking you can’t get it all done!). Too much of it can also be stressful (not enough motivation to get it all done!).
Learn to be the boss of it and you can manage your workload, resources and energy successfully and you will feel positive, achieve well and earn millions (Note – the last claim is not legally binding !)….
Now, the key to managing time is to be a bit organised and think over how you want to use it. So, this may require a bit of planning of tasks (which you can do on a short and longer term basis). These can be classified into urgent / non-urgent and important / non-important, depending on what they are and what they count towards.
You may need to sort your work space so you can get studying productively !
Also, think over how to allocate time – how do you want to slot in periods of independent study and other commitments – such as part-time work – around those key parts of your week where you have to be somewhere ? (those vital lectures and seminars).
In terms of how much time you give to assignments and projects and so on: look at the weightings of marks and give more to pieces of work that carry more overall marks towards your final grades. Simples eh !?
Resources to form part of your toolkit for managing time are those old classics, such as a diary/ calendar (daily, weekly, termly, whatever works for you), and a ‘to do’ list. These can help keep that ol’ devil called procrastination away, as you will know what to do and by when, which should aid with the focus and motivation.
In the age of ‘information overload’ how best to keep things lean and simple and cut out the distractions I hear you ask !? Well, the ability to say no and prioritisation of tasks/work that needs to be done sooner and counts for more are a good start. Also, when you are studying, make sure that you are actually allowing yourself to be focused – the phone is out of the way, friends have left you to work, Neighbours and Hollyoaks are off – and that you have a clear aim/focus to your work. Do manageable chunks, perhaps 2/3 hours and do give yourself breaks, proper food and some fresh air !
Aim to keep those time-stealers that we all know & love at arm’s length – the social media that demands you check your status, the friends who never stop talking ! They don’t always have to be listened to (in the nicest way, of course!).
Multi-tasking.. myth or fact ?! It can work, if you’re a hyper-organised type, but a lot of evidence suggests that people don’t work as effectively on tasks this way. Probably better to work in a focused way on a defined topic and move on.
Drawing this to an end, this thought is pertinent – it’s perhaps the best ‘time’ quote I found.
“Success is simple. Do what’s right, the right way, at the right time”. Arnold H Glasow, an American businessman, wisely said this. Sound advice I’d say!
Of course, the fab ‘Academic Study Kit’ has some useful hints and strategies to enable you to make the most of your valuable time –http://about.brighton.ac.uk/ask/undergraduates/time-management/
There is a blank timetable in this link – print it off & get planning !
Happy studying, I hope time is on your side !
Stuart Bullen, Student Support & Guidance Tutor, BBS, SSGTBusinessSchool@brighton.ac.uk
Thank you for this information. Time management is indeed one of the most important skills nowadays. And if you have it developed, then you will be able to have enough time and resources for work, education, and for having rest. And I believe that it’s possible to get and develop that skills, but only if you want it and are ready to dedicate some effort. I’m working on one paper about it, and I found so much info about it. I also came across one site with time management samples, which helped me to choose which info would be the best to include. And you know, I think that after reading and writing I’ll be able to improve my own skills significantly.