Managing your time
A realistic Guide to life at UCLan - written by students!
by Ashleigh Parish, BA (Hons) Public Relations, 3rd Year, age 20.
Becoming a student and gaining good grades doesn’t mean you need to drop everything else.
You can keep a healthy social life while studying; the most important thing is balance. Establishing and maintaining friendships is a really important part of being successful at uni - just be careful not to let your social life take up all of your time.
University provides you with the opportunity to make new friends and gain qualifications. We’ve all heard the sayings, “all work and no play”, and, “work hard, play harder.” University is an important time in your life to learn; however new students are often overwhelmed by the exciting social life that is on offer. It's easy to let your social life get out of control and if you don't leave enough time to study, it may lead to trouble with your grades, especially around assignment and exam time. Time management is a really important study skill.
A way to balance your time is to plot out a weekly schedule of lectures, seminars and study time. Provide yourself with enough time to complete your work and as a result you will find spare time in your weekly schedule. This spare time can be used to socialise. A weekly schedule can provide you with a way to see what time you have free and when. Set aside a few nights a week with your friends when you all agree to have completed your work before this time.
It is important during University not only to make the most of the great social scene that there is but also to do the best that you can in your studies. Planning and balancing your social time and study time will enable you to make the most of both and to make friends for life.
