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Succeeding in postgraduate study
Succeeding in postgraduate study

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9.6 Use weekly schedules and to-do lists

Weekly schedules (like the activity template you have completed) can help you to see how much time you have available to study. You can also write in those times when you’ll be working, or spending time with the family, for example. You may need to reorganise how you use your time in order to fit sufficient study hours into your week.

Use daily or weekly ‘to do’ lists to help you to plan and prioritise. These can help to clear your mind and clarify what is really important for your studies, but they can also result in you making a commitment to yourself that you will do what you have planned and listed. It can be satisfying to tick off the tasks you’ve completed on a list.

Remember that planning does not guarantee that everything will get done or that deadlines will be met, but the process of making a plan helps you focus on what the task entails and gives direction and purpose to your study.