Introduction > Writing Scientifically > Managing Your Time

Managing Your Time Poor time management is the single most common cause for students producing poor quality written work. Think about how you tackle your course work - if you're given the instructions at the start of term but the submission date isn't for 8 weeks time, what do you do with it? Leaving it until a week before the due date may seem fine, but how many other pieces of course work will you need to hand in that same week? If you've got exams at the end of term, can you study and work on your other pieces of course work in the interim? More importantly, you've worked hard all term - will you have the enthusiasm and motivation to do any work in the last week? Constructing a realistic timetable can help you keep on top of your work and ensure you're not left trying to write six pieces of course work in the last week of term. Your timetable doesn't have to be fancy - a grid in Excel or a document in Word can work equally well. The main thing is to create a realistic timetable that allows not only ample time for study, but which also factors in other important things like socialising, sporting commitments, rest, etc. Exercise At the start of term (Monday of week 1), you've been asked to submit a literature review on a topic of your choice by 5pm Friday of week 8. Can you construct a timetable, taking into consideration the time you need to search for and read literature? You might like to see Word and Excel examples of what you could produce

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