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How can good time management help you to succeed at university?

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Juggling multiple study commitments at university isn't easy. All your deadlines seem to come at once, you have a mountain of reading to climb and so many assignments you don’t know where to start. Add in paid work, student societies, sporting activities, social life, and going home for your mum’s birthday - and you can see why most students will have problems with managing their time.

Unlike work or school, because you are expected to study independently for at least some of the time, university doesn’t have fixed start and finish times. This can mean that you feel as if you ought to be working all day and every day. However, most universities suggest that students should spend between 30 and 35 hours a week on study in termtime, including contact teaching time. You may end up taking more time in some weeks and less time in others, but you should be aiming to get your study commitments completed and still have time for friends, family, fitness and fun.

Good time management isn’t just about being able to make a study timetable or work schedule. It’s important to learn how to use the time you have  effectively. These webpages contain lots of advice on time management for university students. So where should you start?

• Need to get your time under control right now? Try The 5 Step Plan.
• Want to plan your time more effectively? Go to Planning Timetables and Schedules.
• Can't find what you want when you want it? See our advice on Getting Organised.
• Need to work more effectively? Have a look at Making More Hours in the Day.
• Is it impossible to get started, or keep going? See Overcoming Procrastination.
• Hard to stay focused? Go to Dealing With Distractions.

However great your ideas, and however hard you work, if you can’t make the time to complete or communicate things properly, you won’t get the marks you deserve. So managing your time effectively is key to success at university. The bad news is that no-one is born with great time management skills. The good news - that means anyone can learn them!