Is there any advice on how I can manage my time?

So before I went to uni I had this 8-8-8 rule, which was 8 hours of sleeping, 8 hours of study, and 8hours of doing what you want. I think that works for some people and not for others. I think first year is all about learning what works for you and some days you won’t need to study for 8 hours, And some days, You don’t want to sleep for 8 hours or you want to sleep for 12 hours. It’s fine and you just need to check what works for you.

Time management was the thing I struggled with most when I first got to university and the biggest tip I can give and it’s taken a long time to realise this is, that you’re not going to be productive at the same level all of the time, and it’s really important to get to know your energy flow throughout the day and work with that rather than against it. I found that in between lectures and seminars, it’s helpful to stay on campus in the university buildings rather than go back to my accommodation I was able to use this time to get a bit of work done that I couldn’t do in the evening.

It’s one of those stereotypes where students kind of stay in bed all day and yeah, I know a fair few people who are like that but I think it’s really important that you actually make the most of your day, so don’t spend all of your hours your waking hours in bed. Get up, do do something, get a structure in your life. Get into a routine. You might not necessarily be in lectures all the time. I know as an art student, we don’t have a lot of taught lecture time, a lot of it is self, independent, learning so having a structure, something to keep your day itemised is really important.

So, I’d also make sure not to make plans every single day as I know my limits and I don’t want to burn out, so make sure you also leave days to just relax. And another important point is if you do end up procrastinating one day do not get angry at yourself. Just remember, it is part of life and try to overcome it by doing extra work a different day or maybe saving it to the weekend. Also, I think it’s really key to know when you work best so I know I’m a night owl. So if I’ve got essays to write, I need to go to the library. There’s no point

me doing it in the morning and saying oh, I’ll spend 3 hours in the morning in the library because I won’t get as much work done as if I go for 3 hours at the night-time so it’s how you work best and playing to your strengths. You’re in charge of your own time at university so make the most of it in the way that is most beneficial to you.