Scheduling time

Students often avoid schedules because they want to be flexible, not tied down. However, scheduling your time will help you develop good time management habits to get you through your studies.

Keep a diary of your daily activities for a week. At the end of the week, add up how much time you spent on each type of activity. This will help you see where you waste time and where you can make time for study, social and other activities.

Scheduling tips

• Two hours study for each hour of class time is a rough guide. You'll need less time for units you are good at. Spend more time on subjects you find more challenging

• Schedule extra time for units that require more reading

• Schedule most study blocks during the day when you are fresher

• Don't waste the time between classes. Prepare for your next tute or review your lecture notes. You'll get more out of it if you have done the required reading. Many students say this helps them understand the material and saves time on study before exams

• Allow for flexibility in your schedule. You will need more study time when an assignment is due

• Schedule regular, shorter study blocks for reviewing material before exams. You should need less time to review material than to learn it. Regular short review periods will help you stay fresh and reduce boredom

• Get a balance between work and play. Allow time for physical and social activities

Designing a schedule

Draw up a schedule for the semester that shows activities with fixed times such as meals, lectures and tutes. Leave the rest blank. Transfer this to your student diary in the my.monash portal.

Each week, draw up a weekly summary of study you need to do, along with due dates. Work out how you will fit this into your free time. Transfer this to your online student diary.

Weekly work summary example

Stick to your schedule

If you can stick to your schedule, then your free time will really be free. You won't spoil that time by feeling guilty about the study you haven't done.