Managing your time

Effective management of your time is even more vital than ever with most activities for your studies and learning taking place online and remotely. Online, self-paced learning represents a very different way of studying for many students – just as it is a very different way of teaching for many staff. You need to ensure a balance of studying, personal and domestic life, whilst ensuring you have enough time away from your screen. 

Your modules should be structured in such a way that you know what content is coming in the weeks ahead, and you should have a clear calendar of all compulsory and optional timetabled events. This allows you to set some structure to your days and weeks. From this starting point, you can set your own timetable for the week and stick to it. 

We recommend setting up timetabled slots to complete your asynchronous content for each module. Book in time to attend any live Q&A or chats. The key to success is to break down the module and content into small pieces that you tackle in order. It does require discipline. Take breaks and try to change your environment – going for a walk or simply sitting outside and getting some air can do wonders for your productivity.

Form study groups with other students. If you do not know the other students, you can try posting on Moodle to ask if anyone would like to arrange online meetings to discuss the work. 

Turn off your email when studying and restrict open tabs on browsers to only those you need for the topic you are working on. Put your phone on silent and really focus. 

Check out more of our time management tips. 

You can also find a number of resources and sessions available through Student Support and Wellbeing to help tackle a range of issues, including procrastination, which can be a great barrier to effective online learning.