Study Skills Guide Series
Study skill 2: Time management
Learning how to manage your time pays dividends when studying for a degree. You’ll feel
more in control of your studies, you’ll escape that unpleasant feeling of always trying to catch
up, and you’ll enjoy your course to the full.
Taking responsibility for how and when you study is one of the main differences between
school and uni. Your lecturers and tutors will let you know what’s expected but it’s down to
you to plan your study time, find the resources you need and meet deadlines.
A clock with three hands; a
When you reach TIME MANAGEMENT clock that sounds the hour
is the act of planning twice – just two of the
the end of this guide,
the amount of fascinating clocks we have
you will: time you spend on chosen to illustrate this study
understand your study habits activities, so you guide on time management.
can achieve what is All six of the clocks featured
have a grasp of what good
important for you. are to be found in university
time management is
The modern concept of cities in the UK.
have learnt a range of
time management has
techniques for setting goals
its origins in the work
and planning your study time
of the 19th century
know how to stay on top of American Frederick
your studies, keep motivated, Winslow Taylor, who
and get support aimed to improve
industrial productivity.
❝ At uni, it’s
easy to get motivated
The name Big Ben
was first given not to
and find the time to study the clock tower but to
because you’ve chosen the Great Bell in the
Elizabeth Tower at the
a subject you’re already north end of the Houses
interested in.
Matilda, first year
❞ of Parliament in the
university city of London.
The bell was heard for the
chemistry first time on 11 July 1859.
student Credit: SANDEMANs NEW Europe
ACTIVITY 1: get to know how you study best
Understanding how you like to study is the first step to planning your time well. Here are six
statements about study habits and preferences. For each of them, tick A or B, depending on
which is closest to your own approach to studying, then read the feedback that follows.
Statement A OR Statement B
I like detailed instructions I like to try things out for myself
I like to work on my own I like to work with others
I like to do one thing at a time I like to have several things on the go at once
I prefer everything to be tidy and organised I can cope with things being untidy
I need the discipline of a set timetable I can motivate myself to do things
I like to type and make notes on screen I like to write and make notes on paper
Feedback
If you ticked mostly As, you are likely to
be someone who responds well to clear
boundaries, structure and timetables. If
you ticked mostly Bs, you are probably
more creative and spontaneous, and able
to work with uncertainty or even chaos.
You may have a fairly equal balance of As
and Bs, suggesting you are adaptable and
The clock mounted over the entrance to the Corn
able to change your approach depending
Exchange in the university city of Bristol has three
on the circumstances. Both have their
hands. The two big hands show the time in minutes,
strengths and weaknesses, but the most one of them Greenwich Mean Time and one of them
important thing is to understand what Bristol time.
works for you. Credit: by Rodw at English Wikipedia [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
THREE THINGS THAT MAKE A
❝ I always used
to work in a muddle, GOOD TIME MANAGER
and I honestly felt that Being fully aware of the choices you make
suited me best. But when about how to use your time.
I tried to keep my desk tidy, Acknowledging the consequences of not acting
I found it actually helped me on the choices you have made.
study more effectively.
Max, second year
❞ Learning from experience and adapting how
you manage your time.
modern languages
student
ACTIVITY 2: HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR TIME?
How wide is the gap between how you think you 2 Have a look at what it tells you. Are you
spend your time and how you actually spend surprised by what you see?
it? Here’s a simple exercise to help you find out
3 Decide on three things you can change so you
during your first term at uni.
manage your time better the following week.
1 When your timetable is settled and you’ve got
into a bit of a routine, make a note of how you
spend your time for one week.
MOTIVATING YOURSELF
Self-motivation is the drive that
❝ I spend one
hour at the end of each
forces you to do things. You already week going through the evidence
know you’re self-motivated because
I have collected for my professional
you’re planning to go to uni. Self-
motivation is what will get you
practice portfolio. That way,
studying once you arrive and will I stay on top of it but don’t feel
keep you going even when things I’m wasting time by doing
get tough. Daniel Goleman, author
of a number of best-selling books on ❞
it every day.
emotional intelligence, identifies four Chidike, first year
elements that make up motivation: nursing student
Personal drive to achieve – the
desire to improve or to meet
certain standards.
Commitment to personal or
organisational goals.
Initiative, which he defines
as ‘readiness to act on
opportunities’.
Optimism – the ability to keep
going and pursue goals in the
face of setbacks.
The clock by famous clockmakers G & F Cope on the 61 metre
high dome of Nottingham Council House. From April 2011,
the building, which overlooks the Old Market Square of the
university city, has served as the chief Register Office for Births,
Marriages and Deaths.
Credit: by mattbuck (Own work by mattbuck.) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Common
ACTIVITY 3: HOW TO PRIORITISE
Finding there aren’t enough hours in the day to do Here’s the marked-up to do list of a first year music
all the things you need to do? An important first student:
Complete counterpoint score A
step is to accept that you can’t do everything. Next,
make some decisions about the things that are
really important, those that are less important, and Select piece for adding viola melodic line C
those that really aren’t that important. Here’s how: Annotate second movement of Mahler’s 3rd
1 Make a list of all the study-related things you symphony B
need to do – reading, attending lectures, or Revise Bach chorale harmonisations A
borrowing books and articles.
Plan for essay on development of the
2 Mark up each item with an A for really symphonic form A
See what Judith Weir scores are in library C
important, B for less important, and C for
not that important.
Read Kelley Tatro’s article on punk and
screaming in Ethnomusicology, Vol 58, No 3 B
3 Work down the list and get rid of all the Bs by
deciding whether they are really As or Cs.
Write review of ‘Love for Three Oranges’ for
department blog B
4 Finally, work through the As, marking them 1
for the most important, 2 for the next most
important and so on. Prepare for next month’s masterclass B
5 That’s it! You’ve prioritised your time. Now get
started on task A1. Only start on the Cs if you
have time left over.
❝ I make lists on
my phone, rather than in
a notebook. It makes me feel
more in control of everything
as I have my phone with me all
the time.
Carmel, first year
❞
economics
student
The Exeter Cathedral Astronomical Clock is thought to date
from around 1484. The moon and the sun revolve around the
earth, the relative positions of the planets as understood by 15th
century astronomers. Some say the Devon university city clock
was the inspiration for the nursery rhyme Hickory Dickory
Dock.
Credit: Karl Borg
ACTIVITY 4: SETTING REALISTIC GOALS
Goals give you something to aim at, a regular meeting them), reasonable (if you set goals you
sense of achievement, and motivation to start a cannot meet, they will reduce your motivation
study session. Here’s how to set realistic study rather than increase it), and sufficient (your
goals for yourself. goals must ensure you achieve what you want
to achieve).
1 List what you need to do and your target date
for completion. Set targets that take account of 3 Once you’ve set your goals, record them in a
times when you will be unable to study, such as way that works for you. You could put them in a
weekends away or visits from friends or family. free app, into an electronic or paper calendar,
or onto a spreadsheet or wall chart.
2 Check your goals to make sure they are
achievable (you know you will be capable of
❝ If something
comes up and I don’t
manage to achieve a target
THREE THINGS TO HELP YOU I’ve set for myself, I try not to give
ACHIEVE YOUR STUDY GOALS myself too hard a time about it.
Having targets gives me a structure
Take a load off your mind by drawing up
a timetable. You will feel more in control for my studies and that’s
when you can see what you’ve already
done and what’s coming up.
valuable in itself.
Xiu, first year history
❞
Break your study goals down into smaller student
steps using an action plan. You will find
smaller steps are easier to achieve than
one big overall goal.
Reduce interruptions. Visitors knocking
on the door, your smartphone in front of
you, the TV on in the background – all of
them will stop you studying.
The Trinity clock in the university city of Cambridge
was replaced in the early eighteenth century. Ever
since then, it has been notable for striking the hour
twice, first on a low note (the so-called ‘Trinity’
chime) and then on a much higher one (the ‘St John’s’
chime).
With thanks to the Master and Fellows of Trinity College for permission to
reproduce this image.
ACTIVITY 5: FIVE-FOR-FIVE
About to go out for the evening? Waiting for a meal 2 Make a summary of something complex
to cook? Lying awake in the middle of the night you have studied recently, to consolidate your
worrying about the studying you haven’t done? studying.
Here’s a simple way to get on top of things when
3 Write questions about a topic you have to
you feel they’re getting on top of you.
study and are keen to know more about, to show
Grab a piece of paper and set aside five minutes to yourself that your motivation levels are high.
do these five things at speed:
4 Test yourself – perhaps on something you
1 Take stock – jot down things you already know feel relatively confident about, to boost your
about a subject you are about to study, to confidence.
underline that you have a head start.
5 Revisit by having a quick look at something you
have already studied, to remind yourself how
‘Under the clock’ at much you already know.
Glasgow’s Victorian
Central Station has
been a popular meeting FIVE WAYS YOUR TUTORS
place for generations of
CAN HELP YOU WITH
travellers. There are two
mainline rail terminals SELF-MOTIVATION
in the Scottish university Be proactive as soon as you get to uni by
city, with Victorian building up a good relationship with your
Central Station being tutors. Ask directly for their feedback and use it
used by 33 million to help you improve. There are lots of ways you
passengers each year.
can involve your tutors. Here are the top five
Image courtesy of Glasgow Central
Station
ways they can help:
1 Encourage you to get going – and keep
going.
2 Talk through ways for you to tackle your
❝ Best place to
study? For me, it’s the
essays and coursework.
3 Comment on your essays and other
library. I wasted a term of coursework once you have written them.
my first year trying to study in 4 Help you identify your strengths and make
halls until my tutor made the the most of them.
obvious suggestion!
Alexei, second year
❞ 5 Suggest ways you can improve your work
and contributions in seminars and tutorials.
history student
This study guide was
written for UCAS by the
National Extension College
(NEC), the UK’s only
not-for-profit provider
RESOURCES TO HELP YOU
of intermediate level
There’s no shortage of books on time qualifications, including
A level, GCSE, and IGCSE.
management. You can find them online and in
Visit [Link] to NEC is the trading name of
public libraries and bookshops, as well as in the find out more. The Open School Trust, an
library at your uni. independent registered charity.
Charity number: 328414.