Time Management Tips for Students

Why is it important to manage your time when you’re at university?

Being a university student means that you have to find the right balance between your course work, extracurricular activities, personal life, working and still finding the time to prioritise the things you enjoy doing alone, such as going for a run, watching your favourite TV Show, or simply just cooking your favourite comfort food.

In this article, we'll explore how to prevent procrastination among other things such as how to improve your time management and discover useful resources, including the ones we have available at Northumbria University.

How can you manage your time at University?

Now that we understand why time management matters, let's look into some practical strategies to help you manage your time effectively:

1. Create a Schedule: Use a planner or digital calendar to create a daily/weekly schedule. Allocate specific time slots for classes, study sessions, and extracurricular activities.

2. Set Clear Goals: Define your academic and personal goals. Knowing what you want to achieve will help you prioritise your tasks. As time passes, make sure to go back and revise the list and update it.

3. Prioritise Tasks: Make sure to categorise tasks as urgent, important, less important, or not important. Focus on the important and urgent tasks first to help you feel less pressured and be able to complete the rest of the tasks.

4. Avoid Multitasking: Multitasking can reduce your productivity and quality of work. It is important to concentrate on one task at a time for better results. Once you complete one task move on to the next task.

5. Minimise Distractions: Identify common distractions like social media or noisy environments. Find ways to eliminate or limit them during study sessions. For example, if you are easily distracted when you are studying in your room, try studying in the library for a change of scenery.

6. Use the Pomodoro Technique: Once you set the task you want to complete, work on it for 25 minutes consecutively with no distractions. After 25 minutes you can take a 5-minute break. This method can boost productivity and maintain your concentration.

Remember that everyone is different and what works for someone won’t necessarily work for everyone. That’s why it’s important to find what works for you.

Resources available at Northumbria

Below you will find some of the resources available here at Northumbria that can help you with your time management:

1. Access to resources - such as academic journals, online databases, e-books and books for research.

2. The Libraries - which offer 24/7 access during term-time to learning spaces which can accommodate your style of learning from silent or quiet study to social and group learning.

More information about our libraries and the range of support and help available here.

3. Drop-in sessions - provide an easy way of getting quick answers related to your academic work. However, in cases where the scheduled drop-in times are not suitable or if you believe your question is rather intricate for a drop-in session, you also have the option to schedule a one-on-one appointment with a member of the library staff. This allows for a more in-depth discussion of any learning skills-related questions you have.

More information about our drop-in sessions here.

4. The Library’s Northumbria Skills Programme - focuses on helping you improve your ability to work independently and effectively which will help you manage your time better and improve your academic performance.

More information about Northumbria’s Skills Programme here.

5. Access to Microsoft programmes – which can collectively enchance time management skills and productivity. For example, Outlook which can be efficient for scheduling, Word for organising note-taking, PowerPoint for creating visually engaging study materials, etc.

Northumbria University Library

What are the best apps available for time management?

Below you can find a list of what we consider the best time management apps:

Focus Booster

Focus Booster is built around the Pomodoro Technique, and it helps you stay productive by following this technique. The app allows you to record your studying sessions and track your productivity.

Google Calendar

Google Calendar is a popular choice for scheduling and time management. It allows you to create events, set reminders, and share calendars with others. It's particularly useful if you're already using Google's suite of productivity tools.

Microsoft To Do

Microsoft To Do is a straightforward task manager part of the Microsoft Package. It syncs seamlessly with Outlook and other Microsoft apps, making it easy to use and a great choice for Microsoft users.

Notion

Notion is an all-in-one workspace which combines taking notes, task management and data organisation. It suitable for both personal and professional use and it is very easy to customise.

Todoist

Todoist is a versatile task management app that allows you to create to-do lists, set deadlines, and prioritise tasks. It's available on various platforms and can help you stay organised and manage your time effectively.

Trello

Trello is a visual project management tool that uses boards, cards and lists to help you organise tasks and projects. It is a great app for visual thinkers and people who prefer a more interactive app for time management.

Remember that the best time management app for you depends on your specific needs and preferences. It's a good idea to try out a few different apps to see which one aligns best with your workflow and helps you manage your time effectively.

In conclusion, student life can be a handful, but mastering time management can make it a lot easier. Build a schedule, set goals, make use of Northumbria University’s resources and with the right strategies you will find the perfect balance between your studies and personal life.

Please Note 

All content is accurate as of the time of writing, the information in this guide is subject to change and will be updated as required to reflect this.

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