Organisation
Content
01 Introduction /
Task 1
02 Getting started
03 Time management and dealing with the workload /
Task 2
- 01 Introduction
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In order to make the most of your time spent at university, you will need to develop some effective organisation skills.
If you do not consider yourself to be a person who is naturally well-organised, you may find it hard to manage your time and keep on top of your workload.
[Back to top] - 02 Getting started
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It's a common problem for many students to actually get down to studying. This may be particularly difficult if you are the kind of person who is easily distracted. If you have left home to come and live on or near campus in a new town or even different country, it will be very easy for you to feel overwhelmed by your new surroundings and getting settled in may take up a lot of your nervous energy and time.
Remember, that if you are feeling homesick, anxious or depressed, there are support services at the University which have been set up to help you (these include Student Support and Nightline ).
Not everyone finds it easy to settle into life at university, so please don't feel that you are the only one who feels lonely or isolated while everyone else appears to be having a great time.
Try if you can, to build up a support network of friends - it really does help to confide in others. You may often find that they are experiencing the same kinds of problems. If you can't find anyone you feel close to on your course, then try to meet new people through joining a society.
Make sure that you have a place where you can work which lends itself to productive study. Try to work at an uncluttered desk, as clutter can be an annoying distraction. Organise your papers together in files and folders and clearly mark any loose papers with course details and dates; don't forget to ALWAYS provide a reference for notes taken from source materials.
Keep all the stationery you will need on your course easily to hand and stock extra supplies just in case; extra print cartridges always come in handy. You may also find it a good idea to keep a study timetable within close range to help you to focus on your short-term objectives for each week - see below.
Lighting is important to get right. Ideally you should try to work where there is natural light available and always move your desk next to a window, if possible. When you need to work in the evenings in artificial light, you should make sure that you have a desk lamp as well as a ceiling light. Try to position the desk lamp directly over your working area but always try to avoid any glare and never position the light so that you are looking directly at the bulb.
It's also important to avoid feeling either too hot or too cold. If the room you are working in is stuffy and poorly ventilated, you will probably find that you are unable to concentrate for any lengthy periods of time.
Finally, if you are the kind of person who can't work in complete silence and who actually finds it easier to work to loud music or the radio, please spare a thought for anyone else around you who may need some peace and quiet to enable them to concentrate. You can always use headphones to avoid distracting others.
[Back to top] - 03 Time management and dealing with the workload
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One of the most effective ways of managing your time is to keep a record of important dates on an academic year calendar. A wall chart is ideal for this purpose (you can often find them being handed out for free during freshers' week or at university bookshops - try Waterstones).
Find out what the key dates are for the University holidays and other important dates in your department. Then find out when your assessment deadlines and examination periods are. Use different colour pens to make certain key dates stand out.
In addition to a general calendar, you could also usefully profit from devising your own personal study timetable.
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