Personal Exper...

I never realised how important time is until I started university. Getting the best out of you studies in university is forgoing one thing for another. (opportunity cost). When I first started university I was working full time. As time went by I realised that I just could not cope, so I decided to work part-time while studying. I can now cope better with my school work load and can produce a better output. I feel more relaxed and realise how much I am taking in. As a single person living on my own, I have all the time to do my work and submit on time. It is not so for students who have commitments like family, children husbands and so on, who must find it harder to balance their everyday routine with their studies. By the time parents finish their day's chores they must be so tired they just want to sleep. If I was a parent, I think the mornings when the children have gone to school would be the best time for me to study. I would give myself at least two to three hours everyday and see how best I could manage my time.

I feel that the best way to study is to read the text and then read again and make notes. I tend to move through two or three books at the same time looking for similar points, which are phrased in a different way. When I'm doing this I tend to find that I will come across different but still relevant material to use. I make a point of only reading for an hour to an hour and a half at a time after which I will have a half hour break. Once refreshed I find studying much easier. I do have to be strict with myself because I have so little time to actually study I have to make sure I make the best use of it. Another thing I try to do is to read round the subject as much as possible to widen my understanding. I have to balance my duties as a parent, student and husband in a way that allows quality time for each unless problems may occur which may be more important than University. You will have to be prepared to manage your