Managing Time
A major challenge for all students in Australia is how to organise time to the best advantage. The tertiary study environment means that you have to take responsibility for your own study habits. Probably you will never have such freedom in organising your time again. It is easy to become complacent and fall behind and in some subjects, such as languages or IT, it is almost impossible to catch up.
If you think ahead and set some goals, you can choose whether to be the sort of student knows how to concentrate, has things well-planned, knows where to seek help, and hands assignments in on time; or the sort of student who procrastinates, parties too often and too well, and has a big burn-on before each assignment is due, staying up late night after night and grovelling to the lecturer for an extension, which probably won't be granted. It's up to you.
If you decide to be the former kind of student, you need to plan from the beginning.
Planning Your Time
There are three dimensions to organising your time: daily, weekly and across the semester. It’s a good idea to develop some sort of study pattern within these dimensions.
Daily rhythms (‘Owls and Larks’)
Are you an owl or a lark? Do you like studying late at night when everyone else is snoring in bed? That’s fine (but don't forget that 8.30am lecture). If you like studying in the morning, go to bed early to be ready for an early morning start. An average working day is 8 hours, so try to plan an average of 8 hours study a day.
You also need to be aware of your attention span, which will vary depending on a variety of factors, such as your mood, the time of day, and your interest in whatever it is that you are trying to do. In other words, you should not persist with an activity, such as writing an assignment for several hours, if your mind wanders and you find it difficult to concentrate, or you start to feel sleepy; you will not be able to achieve much under these conditions.
Therefore, you will need to take plenty of breaks, get some exercise and have some fun with your friends as well. Remember to schedule plenty of sleep as well. Most people need 8 hours a night. Establishing a reasonably regular daily rhythm makes it easier to sleep well, get out of bed and study efficiently.
Weekly rhythms
It is a good idea to draw up a weekly timetable showing your lectures and tutorials and stick it up on the wall above your study desk. Use it to plan the rest of your week, remembering the average of 8 hours a day. You can pencil in times to prepare for your lectures and tutorials and times for general study. You'll find that you have less time to prepare specifically for your tutorials as the semester progresses, so it is a good idea to get some good study habits started early.
Only workaholics work 7 days a week! Your brain (and body) will work better if you take some time off, so make sure you give yourself sufficient time for relaxation.
Your timetable might look something like this (opens in new window)
Your priorities may change but at least this provides you with some useful guidelines on how to manage your time.
Semester rhythms
The beginning of semester is a good time to get organised with a good filing system for your notes, a study plan and a good study space.
As soon as possible you should make a semester plan, perhaps on a big wall chart. Mark on it when all your assignments are due so that you can see when to start working on what. You may have several assignments due at one time, so you need to plan well ahead. Preparing a two thousand word essay takes time; several weeks in fact. Think about how long it will take you to:
- select and analyse the topic, and work out a preliminary plan
- locate the relevant articles, books, reviews etc.
- read the materials and take notes
- revise the essay plan and write a draft
- take a break from it (and perhaps show it to the Academic Skills Centre)
- rewrite it
- edit your final draft
- compile the bibliography.
You will see from your chart that there will be some very busy times, after which you may need a couple of days break. That's why you may need flexi-timetabling. That means that you can afford to take some days off, if you are prepared to work harder at other times.
If you find that you really can’t cope with your present workload, you may need to drop a subject, or think seriously about changing to part-time study. It is not worth risking your health, personal relationships, or possibly failing the subject, just to maintain the 4 subjects per semester that is considered a full-time study load.
Overcoming Procrastination
Everybody suffers from procrastination at times. You just don't seem to be able to get started. You can do anything else - talk to your friends, play computer games, watch TV, tidy your room - anything but study.
There are many reasons: it may be that you think the task is boring, or too difficult, or you don't understand how to do it. It may seem too enormous to tackle. You begin to feel worse and worse about the task - and yourself. You may feel discouraged, stressed, frustrated and even rebellious.
So what can you do to get over the hump?
- find out exactly what you are required to do (eg. ask your tutor, talk to the Academic Skills Centre)
- set up times and places where you can study successfully
- make yourself as happy as possible when you study (quiet background music? flowers on your desk? have a shower beforehand?)
- make sure your friends know when you will be studying (maybe you need a 'Do Not Disturb' sign)
- break the task into manageable bits (ie. make a plan for your assignment and tackle it bit by bit)
- make a list of 'things to do' and tick them off as you do them
- reward yourself (eg a chocolate biscuit for every chapter or article you have read)
- have regular breaks and set goals for study periods (eg I'll study for two hours and then I'll watch Good News Week)
- switch tasks (do the easy bits first)
- indulge in positive self-talk (think about those things you excel in)
Being organised means you will enjoy your life much more: you will not feel so stressed about your work and you will have plenty of time to have fun too.
Learning to Concentrate
Setting up your study space
- Use a regular study area
Your body knows where you are. When you use the same place to study, day after day, your body becomes trained. When you arrive at that particular place, it will automatically sense that it's time to study. You will focus your concentration more quickly. - Make yourself comfortable
Chose a place that is quiet and where you will not be distracted.
Your study space must have good lighting - preferably natural light.
It must also be well ventilated - fresh air, but not too cold or hot.
Get yourself a study desk with enough space for reading, writing and a computer, and where you can store all the writing and other study materials you need.
Keep your study area tidy so that there are fewer distractions and you always know where everything is.
Buy a decent chair with lumbar support; if you value your back, it is a good investment.
Getting down to serious study
- Make sure that your study space is quiet and comfortable and that you will not be disturbed.
- If you need to do some reading, it’s a good idea to stand the book up vertically, not on a horizontal desk - use a bookrack or a document holder for this purpose.
- If working in front of a computer screen, set-up your computer with your monitor straight at eye height, with your keyboard and mouse at elbow level and with your arms at your side. You should be able to reach your keyboard and mouse without lifting your arm up.
- Have a regular settling down to study ‘ritual’ to help you begin to focus on your study. For example, make a cup of coffee, sharpen your pencil, check your diary - then you can start.
- Plan your study schedule for that day. For example, do some preparatory reading and write an outline for your assignment.
- Start on a relatively easy task first to get you in the mood before you tackle the more difficult study tasks.
Monitoring your concentration and avoiding distractions
- Pay attention to your attention
Breaks in concentration are often caused by internal interruptions; your own thoughts jump in to tell you another story about the world. If this happens too often, perhaps you need to begin your study sessions with a relaxation exercise such as meditation, or find a different study time or place. - Agree with living mates about study time
This includes room-mates, wives, husbands, parents, and/or kids. Make the rules clear and be sure to follow them yourself. Hang a ‘Do not Disturb’ sign on your door. - Avoid noise distractions
Don't study in front of the TV.
Turn off the stereo. Many students insist that they study better with music, and that may be true. Some students have reported good results with carefully selected and controlled music. But the overwhelming majority of research indicates that silence is the best form of music for study. - Learn to say no
This is a valuable time saver for students, and a valuable life skill. Many people feel it is rude to refuse a request, but saying "no" can be done effectively and courteously. Others want you to succeed as a student. When you tell them that you can't go out to socialise because you are busy studying, most people will understand.
Some hints for efficient study
- Take regular breaks of at least five minutes to minimise back problems, headaches, eyestrain, repetitive strain injuries (RSI), etc. This is particularly important if you spend a lot of your time in front of a computer screen or focused on the pages of a book.
- Give your eyes a rest by looking up and focusing on distant objects frequently.
-
Be aware of your posture - keep your back straight and your head and shoulder blades back.
-
Do some regular stretching of your neck, shoulders, arms and hands.
- Reward yourself with a snack and a drink after completing an hour or two of study. (But make sure you keep these rewards in another location so that you don’t eat too much and must get up from your study to get them.)
Getting Help
Research shows that successful students ask for help when they need it. Remember that every student needs help sometimes, so don’t be afraid to ask. Most of the help you may need is on campus.
- If you want to know where to go, or who to see to get help, a good place to start is the Students Association Office.
- You can get help to manage your time with the study advisers in the Academic Skills Centre in individual consultations or in a workshop. The Learning Resource Centres on the campus are also good places to go for advice.
- If you have problems managing stress or a particularly stressful situation, you can talk to a doctor or a counsellor at the Health and Counselling Centre.
- Advice on staying healthy and learning to relax can also be obtained at the Health and Counselling Centre, as well as the fitness instructors at the university Recreation Centre.
- Don’t forget to ask your fellow students and friends for help. Remember that it is much easier to accomplish something if you can share the load. Friends can share the pleasure as well as the pain of life at university; for example, you can study together, play together, relax together, cook and eat together.
- For more information visit our Support Services page.
Some useful books
- Ballard, B. and J. Clanchy (1988) Studying in Australia. Melbourne: Longman Cheshire
- Laughlin, K (1995) Overcome Neck & Back Pain. Canberra: Body Press.
- Wade, J. (1990) Super Study: a New Age Study Guide. Mount Waverly, Vic: Dellasta
- Newbegin, I. (1991) The Australian Study Guide. Melbourne: Australia.