Managing your time efficiently can be the key to your success at university. As a general rule, you are expected to dedicate at least 10 hours a week to each unit. If you are studying 4 units, you need to put in as much time as a full time job.
Good time management is one of the fundamental skills that will set you up for success at university and in life. Using your time wisely reduces stress and increases productivity and efficiency. Learning when to say ‘no’ can be worthwhile.
Use the life-study calculator tool to work out what you want to fit into your week. It should all add up to 168 hours.
Note: If you're unable to use this tool, ensure that scripts and ActiveX are enabled in your browser. Alternatively, switch to viewing this site in another browser, such as Google Chrome. To access this tool in a different format, email sert@scu.edu.au.
Advice on how to balance study with the other commitments in your life.
Studying should be a rewarding experience that sets you on the path to your future career. But, sometimes it's a little bit difficult to manage your study and other life commitments so here's a few tips for you.
As Benjamin Franklin said, ‘by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail’.
Staying organised keeps your studies and your life on track so make good use of a diary and a wall planner. By mapping out your year you’ll know when your assessments are due and when your exams are scheduled. When you have an idea of your deadlines you can schedule in some free time and have an enjoyable and relaxing break.
Do you have the time to study full time?
At Southern Cross University, most courses run over 3 sessions a year that go for about 12 to 14 weeks. A full time student normally studies 3 to 4 units a session, at a minimum of 10 hours per unit per week, that’s almost the equivalent of a full-time job.
Some courses run over 6 study periods. Normally you’ll be managing full time work as well as one unit per study period and you’ll need to set aside about 20 hours per week of study time. These students are typically SCU Online postgraduate students.
If at any point you’re struggling to stay on top of it all get in touch with the staff and they’ll help you find a way to make it more manageable.
There are a few online tools to help you stay organised during your studies. Here are four of them.
Firstly check your calendar so you know when study’s on and when you have time off. www.scu.edu.au/teachingcalendar On the Southern Cross University website, go to Key dates / Academic Calendar.
The next place to check is your Unit Information Guide. Log in to MySCU, select your Learning Site and click on Unit Overview in the left-hand menu. Here you can download the Unit Information Guide, which contains all the information you need to know about your unit.
The next useful online tool is the Study Toolkit. There’s plenty of study skills modules and a time management module to see if you can manage your social, work and study life. On your MySCU homepage click on the banner at the bottom of the page if you can’t see it try refreshing your browser. Here you’ll find a life study calculator, have a play around with the sliders and see if your ideas are manageable.
And finally, because sometimes things do become unmanageable, knowing how to be prepared for more difficult times is critical for your success. www.scu.edu.au/counselling
It can be really useful to connect with others online via social media. Southern Cross University has its own social channels so make sure you follow them to stay updated and connected.
Our last tip is to make use of mobile and desktop apps that will make your time at university a little easier. So here are our top 5:
The Mobile at SCU app has shortcuts to useful university information and web pages. Make sure to download it now.www.scu.edu.au/it/mobility
Did you know that all Southern Cross University students get access to Microsoft Office for free? Visit the Technology Services web page for more information. www.scu.edu/servicedesk
One of the things you’ll need to stay on top of is your student emails from Southern Cross University. Make sure you set up the Outlook app on your smartphone to receive communication from teaching staff, your classmates and other university services.
Smiling Mind is an Aussie app designed to help you calm your mind when it’s racing and help get you back to a more balanced state of being. Stay calm and download it now. www.smilingmind.com.au
This last one isn’t a specific app but because your health and wellbeing are so important, I’d strongly recommend downloading a health or fitness app it could be yoga, dance, running or something else – just anything that gets you moving.
So there they are, 5 ways you can stay balanced and organised and get the most out of your time at Southern Cross University.
Good luck, and stay in touch and check out our other videos.
Take the time estimations from the life-study balance tool and use them to fill out a weekly planner so you can stay in control of your life and know what's coming up next.
Set a realistic starting and finishing time for your day. This means that you need to think about what kind of a person you are, e.g. Are you a morning or a night person? Fill in hourly time slots on the left hand side of the graph (do not include sleep time).
Pencil in all of your fixed commitments including lectures, tutorials, work, travel, meals and meal preparation time, family commitments and leisure time. Be realistic about the time these tasks take. Consider adding in household chores like cleaning as something to be done between study sessions to provide physical and mental breaks.
Pencil in your potential study times. Remember that you should dedicate at least 10 hours per subject per week. Think about the best way to utilise the odd hour here and there between lectures and tutorials, but be realistic!
Want more help? Contact the Learning Zone. Alternatively, if you want help to find balance in your life, please visit the Resilience and Wellbeing pages at scu.edu.au/resilience.
