Utilising time wisely

Know the time of day you study best — Some people are ‘night owls’ and others are ‘morning people.’ You probably already know what you are so use it to your advantage.

Break big things into small pieces — If you have a big assignment that you’ve been avoiding because you don’t have the time or don’t know where to start, break it into smaller chunks and do it one piece at a time.

Get someone else to do things — For example, if someone else can help you out with a low priority task and free up more time for an important assignment, don’t be afraid to ask.

Do more than one thing at a time — If you’re going to the library, don’t just do the research for one subject. You could also collect all the references you need for that assignment in another subject.

Change your routine — You might say you always get up at 7:00 am and set your alarm clock accordingly. Try setting it for 6:45 am instead. An extra 15 minutes a day will give you 105 minutes a week to do something else.

Learn how to say ‘No’- You may be able to say ‘no’ to those things that are low on your list of priorities and don’t advance you closer to your goals. Remember... you won’t have the time

to do everything you want to.

Be flexible — Don’t be too strict with your time management schedule. Unexpected interruptions will occur. Just remember to do things in order of priority.

Use all your available time — Small amounts of time add up so always have something with you to read or study. Waiting for the bus or an appointment can be made useful.

Review your study material periodically — You should review information often to help you remember it over a long period of time.

Study difficult subjects first — You can leave routine or easy tasks until last when your concentration levels may be lower.

Decide your goal when you start studying — Work out exactly what you want to achieve when you study something and the work towards that goal.

Schedule your study to suit your concentration span — Some students lose concentration after studying for only 30 minutes. When you start to lose concentration, take a break for 10 to 15 minutes and then go back to it. Prepare before lectures — You’ll get more out of a lecture and improve concentration if you do some preparation before the lecture such as

review the text book and supplementary material.

Make a study schedule — Get yourself a weekly planner and schedule your study time to make sure you have enough time to meet your goals.