The Student Room Group

Tips on deadlines, motivation and time management

Hi everyone,

I know the lead up to Christmas can feel super busy and with assignment deadlines, it can be a stressful last few weeks at university. So, I thought I would share some tips on keeping motivated and preventing too much stress in this time.

Firstly, planning your time! There may only be few weeks left, but it is not too late to plan. I do this by breaking assignments down into the little tasks that need to be done and then working back from the deadline to work out what days I will do the tasks. This also helps with being realistic about how much time you have left, and therefore how many tasks you can complete in the time you have. Doing things little and often is less overwhelming and stressful, rather than pulling all nighter’s to complete a project all at once.

The technique I use to structure my to-do lists and daily plans is a technique that I got from the entrepreneur Grace Beverly that can be explained better here how to be really really really productive without getting overwhelmed (youtube.com)

In short it is about separating your general tasks from the things you need to do for revision and projects, so you aren’t left with one long overwhelming, confusing to-do list.

Working conditions, I find are key. They can be a big factor for staying focused and motivated. Things to consider are when, where, and how you study the best. For me I know I’ll get way more work done when I am in the library compared to in my room. I also know that my phone is a huge distraction and so will delete certain apps or turn it off, there are many apps you can get that help lower screen time. I also know that I work best in the morning and at night just want to be in my room watching TV. So when time blocking, I factor this in and make sure to plan to go to the library in the day and not at night and do the other tasks at night from my room where I can watch TV at the same time.

A technique that I also find helps me concentrate is the pomodoro technique where you choose a task to work on for 25 minutes, set a timer then have a 5 minute break and repeat this 3 more times and then take a longer 30 minute break. This really helps me stay concentrated on the task as I know that it’s not long till I have a break to do anything else I may need to do or just have a scroll through social media. It is also useful when doing this to write down anything that might pop up in the 25 minutes that you think, I’ll do that on my break, so you don’t forget the little tasks you need to do and can get the thoughts out instead of losing track of what you want to be concentrating on.

Taking breaks is something we can often avoid when we have a lot to do. However, it prevents us from getting burnt out which leads to less energy to get work done.

Similarly getting enough sleep is vital to do your best work. Try and prioritise at least 8 hours to recharge. Meal prepping can also be important in these final weeks, to save time. Rather than cooking every night try to make batches of things that you can freeze and then just quickly heat up. I find this works great with curry, chilli, bolognaise, sausage and mash, soup and pasta sauces. Then all I do is quickly make rice, pasta or something to go with that takes 10 minutes.

Finally make plans that you can look forward to. Knowing that once I have completed my assignments, I can have a break and spend time with my friends and family is a great motivator. I have even decided that on the day after my deadlines I am going take myself Christmas shopping in central London. Even if it is little solo plans or a treat like making yourself a nice meal or buying yourself a little gift it can keep you motivated.

I hope this is useful and has given you some inspiration or an extra push in these last few weeks. Good luck and keep going 😊

-Grace (Kingston Rep)

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