Study Tips: How to manage your University workload

Going to University is not only a great way to build independence but also figure out how best you work, everyone manages their workload differently and within this blog we spoke to our undergraduate students to see how they manage their workload. 

Nicole Stopp
BSc Accounting & Finance (with Foundation Year)

"Here are my five top tips for how to best manage your time, manage your stress levels and how to still get involved in extracurricular activities whilst studying at University.

1. Get yourself a planner - I cannot stress enough how important a planner is. Write in your planner whenever you have a lecture or seminar so you know when you can fit in extracurricular activities! Make sure you don’t leave anything out when writing things in your planner. Got a society event? Want to go out with your friends? Put it in your planner! Plan when you can fit some down time into your week as well, that way you can ease the stresses of university life and keep yourself organised.

2. Do your work earlier rather than later - Everyone says this and it is an obvious bit of advice, but it is so important. If you plan your week, and get used to getting everything done in advance such as lecture and seminar preparation, then it is easier to fit in time to get any essays or assignments done in advance too. That way you can reduce your stress levels and avoid those late nights trying to get an assignment done with the submission date looming.

3. Don’t overwork yourself - If you want to play an active role in seven societies and go to lectures and seminars and have a part time job and play in four different sports teams and volunteer and get all your university work done and socialise with friends, then you’re exhausting yourself. It’s easy when you first arrive at university to want to get involved in as many things as possible and I would say do this for a week or two to get a feel for what you like and then start prioritising. Make sure you can fit everything into your week with enough time to relax, as this is so vital for your wellbeing.

4. Try to keep to a routine - I find that sticking to a routine is so beneficial to my wellbeing and happiness. It means I get enough sleep at night and my days are structured in a way where I get everything done. It is so easy at university to not have a routine because university is so much less structured than school and you have to be more independent. I would recommend blocking the same hour each week for seminar or lecture prep, as well as aiming to wake up and go to sleep at a similar time each night.

5. Do what makes you happy - This final tip is so important but is so easily forgotten. Make sure you plan your week (around lectures and seminars and assignments) with things that make you happy. Make sure that you really are looking after yourself, as when you are happy, it is a million times easier to be motivated for university which ultimately will reflect in your grades!”

James Kariuki
BSc Management 

“Managing your time at university can seem like an uphill task at times, but believe me, it is more than possible! I found that having a daily schedule to be the most effective method to consistently getting my work done.

I tend to study the lecture material and then immediately work on the relevant seminar work in order to be as efficient as possible. In terms of submissions of work such as essays and presentations, I tend to set myself a ‘pre-deadline’, which simply means that I set my own deadline slightly earlier than the actual one in order to ensure I am never late to submit my work and ensure that I avoid any mark deductions from an overdue submission.

However, it is important to remember that life isn’t all about academics. Getting involved in extracurricular activities is also necessary during your time at Warwick if you want the entire student experience and to help deal with your stress levels. I highly recommend joining societies and clubs that are on offer on campus, it is never too late to start. Simply find the society on Facebook and attend their sessions to see if they are a fit for you. I was able to gain lifelong friends just from attending the weekly sessions on offer at sports clubs such as Muay - Thai Boxing and societies such as the East African Society. Furthermore, getting involved in these activities is an excellent stress reliever so you can focus more on your work and be more productive overall.

There are also a host of societies on campus that build on your professional skills such as the Warwick Public Speaking Society or the Warwick Finance Society, which will impact you positively for the rest of your life and can be useful if the skill relates to an assignment such as presenting.”

Looking to study at Warwick Business School, then why not download our 2020 Undergraduate Brochure?