Larbi Ben M’Hidi University
Study Skills/ 1st Year LMD
Time management as a student
Introduction
As a student, only part of your week and year will be formally timetabled. You are responsible for
organising most of your study time for yourself. This can be challenging.
If you feel that your time is pressurised, or you suspect that you waste time that could be better spent
on other things, then it is worth developing your time awareness and time management skills.
10 steps to effective time management
1 Be systematic .
• in thinking about time management
• in developing an understanding of how you use your time
• in working out how best to manage your time to achieve your priorities
• in planning your time.
2 Find out your time requirements
• Find out the pattern of study required for your programme - and how much time you will need to
spend in independent study.
3 Clarify how you use your time now. Be aware of how much time it takes you, personally, to
do things.
• where you think your time goes
• where it actually goes.
4 Decide how you want to use your time
• You need to work out how you will spend your study time.
• You have to decide how much time you want to give to different activities. Compare this with the
way you actually spend your time.
5 Prioritise
You may find it hard to fit in everything you would like to do and some things will be more
urgent than others. Identify your priorities and set a time by when these must be completed.
6 Plan
A good student planner or diary can be invaluable in managing your time. A 'week to view' diary for
the academic year is ideal.
What to put in about your study
A comprehensive record
To be effective, your diary or planner needs to be a complete record of what you have to do. Write
in:
• all non-study activities, such as family holidays, medical appointments, work hours, birthdays,
volunteering, travel, etc.
• exam dates, field trips, work placements, deadlines for handing in assignments, etc.
• exactly where, and with whom, each appointment or lecture is
• specific study tasks, such as 'Read Chapters 2-4 of English Grammar in Use.
• dates and times when you need to log-on for specific activities or when course resources are
made available online.
• free time, to be used to catch up on things you missed, emergencies, unforeseen events, rest,
and enjoyment.
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7 Do it
• Put your plan where you will be reminded of it easily.
• Implement your plan to schedule.
• Work out what might sabotage your plans.
8 Apply time management techniques
Set early deadlines
Set yourself deadlines for completing assignments earlier than the official hand-in time. This gives
you time to fine-tune your final drafts and manage unforeseen emergencies.
Keep track of time
• Jot down as a list your start times for each new activity.
• Put this where you can see it easily, such as on a sticky note on your diary or computer.
• Check it frequently as you study. Adapt your times sensibly if you start to fall behind.
Use a timer
• Use a timer on your computer or phone, or an old-fashioned alarm clock. Set it to go off a few
minutes before the time you wish to start on your next activity.
• When the timer goes off, be strict in bringing your current activity to a close so that you can start
the next.
• It may take some experimentation to work out realistic amounts of time to set for each type of
activity.
Use support networks
If you have demanding commitments outside of study, it helps to build the kind of support networks
that fit your life style. For example, if you volunteer or work part-time, there may be ways of sharing
shifts with others so that there is cover available for when you need to be in class
Organisation =time-saving
Good organisation is a key way of saving time.
• Manage your files, so that you don't keep more material than you need.
• Organise space, including your online space, so that you can find everything quickly.
• Name it and label it, so you can find things easily.
• Plan your day so that you use pockets of time well.
9 Manage distractions and procrastination
Build your understanding of when and how you become distracted from using time effectively,
despite your best intentions. Plan strategies to manage this.
Effective study depends on having your state of mind, space, time and materials organised in the
ways that best suit your learning.
Creating a state of mind for study
Many students find it difficult to get into the right mood for study. They put it off to another day.
Everyone has their own particular distractions: endless cups of coffee, texting and tweeting, phone
calls, TV, browsing online, housework, anything rather than settling down to study.
Give yourself study triggers
Many people need a 'trigger' to start a study session. One student clears his desk each time he
finishes studying: his study trigger is a clear, inviting surface. Another has a 'ritual' of switching on
the computer, bringing in a glass of water and then opening her books at the appropriate pages before
she feels she is ready to begin. Another begins by making a coffee while standing in the kitchen,
brainstorming ideas onto paper. He feels he has already started to study before he sits down.
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Use your distractions to help you study
Study on the move
If your distractions involve movement (such as sport, shopping or housework), spend ten minutes
first browsing a chapter or going over notes. Then give in to your distraction if you still want to - but
go over what you have just read as you do it. If you are an active person, combine sport or movement
with study tasks such as thinking through how you will approach an assignment, or rehearsing
material covered in class to see how much you remember. Some people learn better 'on the move'.
Use distractions as resources
If you tend to phone or text friends as a distraction, ask them to help you focus on your work. Tell
them to ask you about the assignment or use them as a sounding board, but be considerate – your
friends will probably be delighted to hear from you, but may also be trying to concentrate on their
own study. Set time limits for calls.
Connect to your motivation
10 Monitor
Check that you are sticking to your plan. If not, update your planning to make it more realistic.
Time management is an essential skill for students. This lecture has outlined a 10-step strategy for
effective time management. All 10 steps are important - you can't really pick and choose, or opt to
miss any out, and still be managing your time to best effect. However, it is likely that you will be
more effective in some areas than others. Good self-knowledge, planning and organisation help with
most aspects of time management.
References
Cottrell, S. (2013). The study skills handbook (4th ed.). New York, NY: Palgrave MacMillan.
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