How to prioritise your workload

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How to prioritise your workload
Study Skills Workshop Falmer Library

• Planning effectively
• Time saving and time management
• Organisation

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By the end of the workshop you will

• Understand what time management is about.
• Know guidelines for managing time effectively.
• Be able to schedule time in the long,
  intermediate and short term.
• Know how to plan study schedule.
• Plan study schedules for the short,
  intermediate/long term.

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Activity

• In pairs,
• Introduce your self.
• Share your difficulties in time management
  rating yourself out of 10 for your time
  management performance
• Give the other person one tip that you have found
  useful to keep on top of things

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Planning

• Choosing the right planning tools for the job
• diary, calendar, list, planner
• Work your way backwards from key dates
• Create milestones as you go
• Break tasks down into smaller parts
• Get into regular habits to check your plans

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What does an effective time manager look like?

• What are the advantages of being organised?

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Advantages of being organised

• Meet deadlines
• Reduce stress! feel in control
• More possibility to fulfil your potential
• Builds confidence and ability to cope
• Avoids too much multi-tasking
• More of a social life!!?

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Be realistic!

• Be realistic about how much time any task will
  take
• Look at the time available what could you do in
  5 minutes? 30 minutes? 3 hours?
• When will you have a break? could use mobile
  timer function for this!

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Listing and prioritising

• Distinguish between important and urgent!
• Get into a routine if it helps you
• Schedule in time for admin
• Plan around your energy levels
• Tidy your desk!

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Prioritising
High Urgency Low Urgency
Low Importance High Importance
1 2
3 4
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And finally. Procrastination!

• Talking about your work instead of doing it!
• Writers block
• Checking texts and emails
• Spending too long neatly presenting things
• Switching high low activities
• Recognise your tactics and giveyourself targets
  or rewards

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Two Useful Resources

• Working backwards from the deadline handout
• Assignment Survival Kit
• http//www.kent.ac.uk/uelt/ai/ask/index.php