Managing your time

Students relaxing on grass

A Master's degree is undoubtedly a big commitment. Most of our Imperial Master's programmes are full-time and typically take 12 months. Where a part-time degree is offered, you may well be required to balance periods of intense study with work. It's inevitable that you're going to feel pushed for time sometimes. This is totally normal and everyone will manage in a different way, but there are ways to make it easier on yourself. You can find more tips for time management and support available at Imperial in the success guide.

 

Tips for dealing with time pressure

  • Listen to advice from staff about what is expected of you
  • Prioritise what you need to do and be disciplined about how you use your time
  • Take time to learn how to do certain things efficiently
  • Read your programme handbook so that you know what you need to do, when you need to do it, and who to contact if there are problems - You should be able to find your handbook on the programme webpage, if not, contact your programme administrator and ask for this before you arrive
  • Learn how to use discipline-specific bibliographic databases and look at the wealth of library resources, including those online available to you now
  • Seek feedback from staff and peers about your work, feedback is designed to help you understand your strengths and weaknesses so that you can improve
  • Take a moment to consider what inspires you about the field that you are exploring; when you start getting busier, it's your enthusiasm, interest and sense of purpose that will help to carry you through
  • Make use of any available training courses that may help you; for example, those run by the Library
  • If you encounter problems, be pro-active in seeking help before things get too much, your programme team will be able to help you but there are also a number of other student services in the College which offer a wider range of support services. Visit the Student Support Zone for further advice
  • Contact the Imperial College Union Advice Centre, they offer free support to all students
  • Remember that there is life beyond your studies
  • Make time for hobbies or socialising so you don't ‘burn out’ or lose motivation; Imperial College Union organise hundreds of different events, competitions and get-togethers throughout the year