Time Management

1. Smaller bites

Think of an assignment as a series of steps. For example, writing often incorporates the following stages adapted from Godfrey (2011, p. 98):

• Understand: look at the assignment brief and title.

• Rough Plan: write down initial thoughts.

• Research: read and take notes.

• Detailed Plan: list topics for paragraphs.

• 1st draft: develop thoughts.

• Additional drafts: write introduction/conclusion; check against plan and title.

2. Time planners

Weekly planner

• Start by putting in all the activities already planned e.g. taught workshops and work.  
• Colour coding can be assigned for different activities.
• The spaces left can be used for independent study.
• Consider when you study best: morning, afternoon or evening.
• Write notes in the boxes as to what you hope to achieve.

Long-term planner

• Another way of planning involves viewing the weeks and months ahead.
• Plot deadlines, milestones and key activities.
• Try the monthly planner below or make a Gantt chart to see an overview of an entire term or project.
• Use Tom’s Planner or Excel to make a Gantt Chart.

3. To do lists

• Lists can be made daily, weekly or termly for whole assignments.
• Remember to make targets SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound).
• For instance, rather than setting a vague target (do research), you could aim to find one book on colour theory and take notes for an hour.
• Tick or highlight an item once it is complete to help you track progress.
• Try an app such as Remember the Milk to create digital lists.

4. Prioritise

• It can help to prioritise your actions and lists.
• You can use a traffic light system of red (high importance), amber (moderate importance) and green (low importance).
• Another way of prioritising is by labelling tasks as now, soon or later (Williams and Reid, 2011).
• Ask: How critical is this?

5. Overcome procrastination

• Procrastination is the act of postponing or delaying.
• Stella Cottrell (2019, p. 28) recommends taking small steps, having an organised routine and rewarding yourself after reaching goals.
• It also helps to be aware of your common distractions (such as television). See some tips about overcoming distractions from Learn Higher (2021)
• Watch the short video from the University of Sheffield about overcoming procrastination.

Sources consulted

• Cottrell, S. (2019) 50 ways to manage time effectively. London: Red Globe Press.
• Godfrey, J. (2011) Writing for university. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.Learn Higher (no date) Planning timetables and schedules. Available at: http://www.learnhigher.ac.uk/learning-at-university/time-management/planning-timetables-and-schedules/ (Accessed: 1 March 2019).
• Tracey, B. (2017) Eat that frog! 21 great ways to stop procrastinating and get more done in less time. Oakland, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
• UWE (2020) Assignment planner. Available at: https://academicskills.uwe.ac.uk/general/workbooks/assignment-planner/12073/assignment-planner (Accessed: 06 February 2020).
• Williams, K. and Reid, M. (2011) Time management. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.