Advice and resources to help you to improve your time management skills. Students can often find the lack of structure in a research degree difficult to manage. Learning how to manage your time effectively and keep motivated will come in helpful for your PhD research - and also for your future career, as employers will expect this of you. Good time management and workload management, along with the confidence to say no and the ability to ask for help, are key elements when it comes to handling pressure. Why is time management important? During your research degree and at work, good time management and workload management will help you to be productive and meet deadlines You will avoid unnecessary stress if you: plan ahead, setting your own deadlines and agreeing them with supervisors prioritise feel able to ask for help when you need it know when to take on an extra piece of work and when to say no This will also help you to achieve a good work-life balance, where there is space for your other commitments like family and friends – and this is important for your wellbeing How can you develop these skills? The University offers workshops and resources on time management and other topics: Workshops for postgraduate researchers (Institute for Academic Development) To access the following resources, you’ll need your University of Edinburgh log in: 7 tips on boosting your productivity Coping with the pressure of work To ask or not to ask for help How to assess your work life balance How to improve your work life balance This article was published on 2024-05-14
