Time and Attention Management: Time Management

What is independent study?

At university you will have a fixed timetable for your lectures, seminars, tutorials, and possibly other practical elements, depending on your course.

Independent study is the time outside timetabled curriculum that you should use for your studies for example to:

  1. Review your notes from your lectures and seminars

  2. Do extra reading to add to your notes each week

  3. Prepare for seminars and lectures

  4. Work on assignments related to that module.

The amount of spare time you have will depend on your course, personal circumstances and whether you have a paid job alongside your studies. However, you will need to do a certain amount of independent study for each module each week. Please see your module handbook for guidelines on how many hours per week you should be doing.  

It may help to think about your course as a 35-hour-a-week job!

Managing your independent study and making use of this time can be one of the most challenging areas of time management at university, As such, we recommend putting an independent study timetable (see the following box) in place for each term, so that you have a regular routine and are giving the right amount of time to in depth study for each module. This should reduce your stress and will ensure you are doing the right amount of extra study!

You can use an online planner or a paper one, similar to the image below (you can download it at the end of this box).

1. Firstly, add all your fixed commitments, for example your lecture and seminar slots to your weekly timetable template. Have a look at how much time you have left over in the week, you might be surprised!

2. Now, decide how many hours of independent study you would like to give to each module each week? (Check your module handbook for guidelines on this.)

3. Next think about when would be best for you to do independent study for each module. This is very individual and will depend on when you work best and the time you have.

4. Decide how long each block should be 1, 2, 3 or even 4 hours? You can split up your independent study time and do it in several blocks, whatever works best for you.

5. Now add this to your weekly timetable. It may look something like this. (IS = independent study)

However, this is a very individual process, so everyone’s timetable will look different.  You can even choose to do more independent hours if you have the time, but remember you do not need to fill in every hour on your timetable. Make sure there is plenty of time for breaks. 

You now have a rough academic schedule for the semester! Unfortunately, life is unpredictable, and things can change, and appointments come up, so be flexible. If you miss an independent study block, add it back in to your timetable that week so you are keeping up with your study hours.

This timetabling strategy can have a very positive impact on procrastination, but it will require some level of discipline! It may take time for you to get into a routine, so give it time and if you feel your timetable is not working you can always rethink it and make some changes to it. 

Creating a weekly study timetable is a great first step to managing your time, but you will also need to consider what you will do in each study block for maximum effectiveness. Creating SMART goals can help with this.

Think SMART when setting your goals!

• Specific – The more specific your goals the more likely you are to avoid procrastination.
• Measurable and motivating – Will you know when you have completed your goals? If so, you can tick them off at the end of your study block!
• Achievable – Are they attainable in the time you have set aside?
• Realistic and relevant – Are the goals you have set relevant and can you realistically get them done in the time you have set aside?
• Time bound – Have you set a time limit to complete it?

Before you sit down for a study block, think ‘what could I realistically complete in this session?’ (depending on how long your study block is) Then write these goals down.  An example might be as follows. You can even prioritise these goals by using a number system to show priority.  

Remember the goals you set should be related to that module’s study block!

Top Tip!

Set aside 5 minutes at the beginning of your block to write down some goals. Of course, if you don’t manage to complete them all, you can roll them over to the next study block for that module!

The Pomodoro Technique is a highly structured way to set timely SMART goals. 

With the Pomodoro Technique you use a timer to break down work into intervals, so-called pomodoros (traditionally 25 minutes in length, but this can vary according to your concentration preferences), separated by short breaks.

Focusing on tasks to be completed in a certain period of time helps you stay focussed and effective. The short breaks help you assimilate your learning, refresh, and provide an incentive to complete your tasks timely. After 3-4 pomodoros you earn a longer break (15-30 minutes).

https://flic.kr/p/2iPW6XH 

Steps to use the pomodoro technique:

1. Decide on the task to be done. This should be SMART task: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic. It will be automatically Timed, in the pomodoro.
2. Set the pomodoro timer (traditionally to 25 minutes).
3. Work on the task.
4. End work when the timer rings and put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
5. If you have fewer than four checkmarks, take a short break (3–5 minutes), then go to step 2.
6. After four pomodoros, take a longer break (15–30 minutes), reset your checkmark count to zero, then go to step 1.

Assignment coming up? You can use the same time management technique you have seen on this page to plan your time for assignment preparation.

To manage your time most effectively, use the ‘plan backwards, work forwards' approach rather than gradually working towards deadlines and running out of time as you get closer to them.

The approach works as follows:

Part 1:

Plot all your assignment deadlines in a semester planner. Please see the below attached template you can use. This planner can be very useful as it allows you to see all your assignment deadlines for every module on one page (see template at the end of this box).

Part 2:

1. Use an assignment planner for each assignment.
2. For each assignment work backwards from your deadlines plot dates/times to work on assignments and say exactly what you are going to do for that assignment. Remember to use SMART targets!
3. Make enough time to produce at least 2 drafts of each piece of work and/or to rehearse for any presentation; ideally your first draft should be completed one week before hand-in.
4. Remember to have the final version of your assignments complete the day before the hand-in date.
5. Leave plenty of time for editing and proofreading. Lots of marks can be lost if you leave out  this step! 

• Daily Smart Planner

  If you need a detailed/structured planning tool you can use this daily planner to make sure that you set out SMART goals for yourself each study day.
• Weekly Planner

  Use this planner to firstly fill in existing commitments (lectures, seminars, paid work, regular sports activities etc). Then identify your best times for study and book yourself time to study. Keep the planner somewhere you can see it as a constant reminder.
• Google Calendar

  This document provides a guide to setting up a Google calendar.