Work, life, study balance

If you have not studied for a long time you may think you do not have the skills you need for advanced study, but you will probably find that your time management skills are a great asset.

Often the most pressing problem is having to juggle work, study and home commitments. Make sure those close to you understand what you're doing and why. Let them know in advance your timelines and periods of greatest potential stress.

If you have already been managing home and work for some time, you can turn your time management skills to a new set of tasks.

• Try making a list of things that have to be done to keep life running smoothly.

• Then make another list of thing which could be done, but which are not really essential. They can be put aside till the end of semester, or even reallocated to other family members.
• Do a backwards diary from your furthest deadline to the present time, so you can see how many days and hours you have available to allocate to study tasks.

Study goals

It is good to be clear about your purposes for study. Perhaps your aim is to achieve a more interesting career. For many students it is a question of meeting challenges, and of self-fulfilment.