Struggling with time management for uni assignments 😅

3

Hey everyone,
I’m juggling multiple modules this semester and honestly struggling to keep up with deadlines. Does anyone have any tips or tools they use to stay organized? I’ve heard about apps like Trello, Notion, and Google Calendar, but not sure how to use them effectively for assignments. Any advice or workflows that actually work in real life would be super helpful!

Thanks in advance

Reply 1

lessengerdesign

3

Trello is an interesting tool that is used in many corporations with agile environments. Based on that, maybe an agile matrix could help you decide what to prioritize in your days. You can get a basic idea of it just from an image search, but it asks the question "is this urgent?" and "how important is this?" The plot grid you make can help you decide what to focus on first. When I worked at IBM, we frequently used this method with sticky notes for the plot points.

Reply 2

LJMUStudentReps

Official Rep

19

Original post

by james_smite68

Hey everyone,
I’m juggling multiple modules this semester and honestly struggling to keep up with deadlines. Does anyone have any tips or tools they use to stay organized? I’ve heard about apps like Trello, Notion, and Google Calendar, but not sure how to use them effectively for assignments. Any advice or workflows that actually work in real life would be super helpful!
Thanks in advance

Hi,

I’d recommend using Notion to list all your modules and keep track of lectures/assignments. I use it as a checklist for everything and it really helps me to stay on top of deadlines.

I followed this video https://youtu.be/FrhFvIsq86g?si=E0CNqRKE3EvrnU_E

Hope this helps,

Tayba
Student Rep

Reply 3

University of Salford Student Rep

Official Rep

14

Original post

by james_smite68

Hey everyone,
I’m juggling multiple modules this semester and honestly struggling to keep up with deadlines. Does anyone have any tips or tools they use to stay organized? I’ve heard about apps like Trello, Notion, and Google Calendar, but not sure how to use them effectively for assignments. Any advice or workflows that actually work in real life would be super helpful!
Thanks in advance

Hi!

I really struggle with this myself but I have tried to work on it over the years. I have tried software like Trello but find I always forget to keep checking it, but I know others who find it really useful for keeping up with different work/life tasks through the week. I personally stick to using my phone calendar as my know-all organisation as it's the only thing that I truly remember to keep checking. I'd recommend just finding one thing as your base and get into the habit of regularly using it.

Something that consistently helps me is setting time on a Monday morning to go through my emails, check all my diaries, work shifts and calendar for the week, etc. I check my university site online and see what work I'll have to do for different lectures for the week. Basically, admin time. This doesn't have to be a Monday, just whenever works for you, but setting some free time to set myself up for the week seems to make a huge difference in not forgetting anything or thinking I have more time to do work than I actually have.

I also create my own 'assignment tracker' on Word and create a table of all my assignments, deadlines, extra notes and info about them to remember, such as what date I can get a draft or plan checked by. It really is nothing fancy but that made it easier to build into my weekly 'check I'm not forgetting anything' admin routine.

Setting dates for when you would like to have your first draft completed or a plan created, whatever your process is, really helps me to not leave everything until the last minute. I will put these into my calendar and it reminds me that I should have made progress by this point. Again very simple but easy to build into my process.

Lastly, and I know this sounds super simple and obvious but it genuinely has only clicked for me in my last year...start your assignment as soon as you get it. Understandably you will usually need time to attend lectures and learn content before you can start writing the real thing, but even from the very start you can begin collecting relevant research and writing a little paragraph to potentially edit and use later on. You can start writing a thorough plan and building that structure and arguments for an essay. Whatever you're working on, there's probably something you can get started on straight away. As I've mentioned, you can be figuring out when you want to be at different stages of completion and marking it in your calendar. Just get started ASAP and I've found this is a huge stress relief and keeps me accountable.

Hope any of that helps, my big tip is honestly don't overcomplicate organisation as it can make it harder to implement. Find one thing that suits you and be consistent with checking in on it.

Good luck 😊

Becky
University of Salford Student Rep

Reply 4

LSBU

Official Rep

12

Original post

by james_smite68

Hey everyone,
I’m juggling multiple modules this semester and honestly struggling to keep up with deadlines. Does anyone have any tips or tools they use to stay organized? I’ve heard about apps like Trello, Notion, and Google Calendar, but not sure how to use them effectively for assignments. Any advice or workflows that actually work in real life would be super helpful!
Thanks in advance

Hey there, I completely understand how overwhelming multiple deadlines can feel. As a student at LSBU, what really helped me was blocking out study time in Google Calendar like it was an actual lecture. Instead of just writing “assignment due”, I scheduled specific tasks such as research, first draft, or editing into 60 to 90 minute slots. It made everything feel more manageable.

I also used the Pomodoro method when my focus was low. I would work for 25 minutes, take a 5 minute break, and after four rounds take a longer rest. It genuinely stopped me from burning out and helped me stay consistent.

Tools like Trello are great if you like visually moving tasks from To Do to Done, and Notion is helpful if you want everything in one place. For me, a clear calendar and a simple weekly priority list worked best. I also made sure to schedule proper rest so I did not feel guilty taking breaks.

Find what works best for you! Good luck!

I hope that helps!

LSBU Admissions Ambassador

Reply 5

copperDrone14

1

Original post

by james_smite68

Hey everyone,
I’m juggling multiple modules this semester and honestly struggling to keep up with deadlines. Does anyone have any tips or tools they use to stay organized? I’ve heard about apps like Trello, Notion, and Google Calendar, but not sure how to use them effectively for assignments. Any advice or workflows that actually work in real life would be super helpful!
Thanks in advance

Hello bro...i can help you with heavy assignments task...

Reply 6

Ronniemwenda

7

Original post

by james_smite68

Hey everyone,
I’m juggling multiple modules this semester and honestly struggling to keep up with deadlines. Does anyone have any tips or tools they use to stay organized? I’ve heard about apps like Trello, Notion, and Google Calendar, but not sure how to use them effectively for assignments. Any advice or workflows that actually work in real life would be super helpful!
Thanks in advance

Hi James, I totally understand what it feels like to have many modules that are time demanding, its not easy to have the balance but you can also do it if you take the right approach. For me, i delegate my work by having a helper especially when i cant beat deadlines because of other obligations. I also try to be attentive and not miss any lectures as this makes my work easier when preparing for tests. I hope that helps

Reply 7

james_smite68

OP

3

Original post

by University of Salford Student Rep

Hi!
I really struggle with this myself but I have tried to work on it over the years. I have tried software like Trello but find I always forget to keep checking it, but I know others who find it really useful for keeping up with different work/life tasks through the week. I personally stick to using my phone calendar as my know-all organisation as it's the only thing that I truly remember to keep checking. I'd recommend just finding one thing as your base and get into the habit of regularly using it.
Something that consistently helps me is setting time on a Monday morning to go through my emails, check all my diaries, work shifts and calendar for the week, etc. I check my university site online and see what work I'll have to do for different lectures for the week. Basically, admin time. This doesn't have to be a Monday, just whenever works for you, but setting some free time to set myself up for the week seems to make a huge difference in not forgetting anything or thinking I have more time to do work than I actually have.
I also create my own 'assignment tracker' on Word and create a table of all my assignments, deadlines, extra notes and info about them to remember, such as what date I can get a draft or plan checked by. It really is nothing fancy but that made it easier to build into my weekly 'check I'm not forgetting anything' admin routine.
Setting dates for when you would like to have your first draft completed or a plan created, whatever your process is, really helps me to not leave everything until the last minute. I will put these into my calendar and it reminds me that I should have made progress by this point. Again very simple but easy to build into my process.
Lastly, and I know this sounds super simple and obvious but it genuinely has only clicked for me in my last year...start your assignment as soon as you get it. Understandably you will usually need time to attend lectures and learn content before you can start writing the real thing, but even from the very start you can begin collecting relevant research and writing a little paragraph to potentially edit and use later on. You can start writing a thorough plan and building that structure and arguments for an essay. Whatever you're working on, there's probably something you can get started on straight away. As I've mentioned, you can be figuring out when you want to be at different stages of completion and marking it in your calendar. Just get started ASAP and I've found this is a huge stress relief and keeps me accountable.
Hope any of that helps, my big tip is honestly don't overcomplicate organisation as it can make it harder to implement. Find one thing that suits you and be consistent with checking in on it.
Good luck 😊
Becky
University of Salford Student Rep

This is such a practical and relatable approach, Becky! I love how you combine simple tools like your calendar with a weekly admin routine it makes staying on top of tasks feel achievable rather than overwhelming. Starting assignments early and breaking them into mini-dates is such a smart tip; definitely something I’ll try myself. Thanks for sharing! 😊

Struggling with time management for uni assignments 😅

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