3: Time Management
Introduction
Managing time - and in particular juggling all the things they have to do in life - is probably the greatest challenge that higher education (HE) students face. In all surveys of experiences of HE students of all ages, this issue comes out top of their list of concerns.
For younger students, a HE course may be the first time they have had to work independently from the support given by other people, particularly parents and college tutors. They now have to juggle with - not just the demands of course work - but with all other aspects of life, including laundry and cooking, if they are in halls of residence, and often with part-time or full-time employment.
For mature students, their studies may have to be managed alongside the responsibilities of running a home, being a parent, carer, and employee; it's not easy.
Section 3 of Trans:it looks at how you currently manage time, offers a range of advice, and presents four case studies of students with time management problems.
Contents of this section
Unit 1: How well do you manage time?
This unit includes a self-assessment exercise and questionnaire that invites you to think about how well you currently manage your time.
Unit 2: Time traps
This unit looks at three common time traps for students: procrastination, perfectionism, and poor planning, and examines what can be done to manage these.
Unit 3: About time
This unit presents a range of techniques and tips on managing time.
Unit 4: Case studies
Four case studies, representing common time management problems, are presented for discussion.
Workbooks
Recommended Websites and Reading
Websites
LearnHigher is a network of sixteen UK institutions of higher education that have combined to develop resources to support students learning.
One of the LearnHigher resources relevant to this section is the ‘Time Management’ resources section, organised by the University of Reading
Time Management Tips from Students
This website is developed by Middlesex University and contains hundreds of time management tips from students.
The tips are broken into sections, e.g. family, childcare, writing essays, planning tips etc.
This is an interactive time management tutorial developed by the University of Leeds. It takes you through different stages of time management, including planning and prioritising your work.
Get ready for university - Time Management
This site, designed by Napier University, is aimed at new students. It includes an interactive exercise to help you think of time management strategies that will work for you.
Reading
(Links below go to Amazon.co.uk)
The Study Skills Handbook, by Stella Cottrell, published by Palgrave.
This study skills bestseller has a very useful and practical selection of tips on time management; highly recommended.
Skilful Time Management, by Peter Levin, published by the Open University Press.
This book contains time management advice aimed particularly at new students.
Other recommended books at offer good advice for managing time, although not specifically in a student/learning context:
- Forsyth, P. (2003). Successful Time Management, London: Kogan Page.
- Haynes, M.E. (2000). Make Every Minute Count, London: Kogan Page.
- Croft, C. (1996). Time Management, Thompson Business Press
