Time management

Scheduling, balancing teaching and research, and career progression all require effective time-management skills. Here, academics offer their own experience, techniques and advice

Two sun loungers sit on white sand, shaded by a yellow beach umbrella

Get your PhD thesis beach ready

Prepping for the beach requires planning, effort and time management – and so does writing a PhD thesis. John Sinclair offers advice for summer days and doctoral nights

John Sinclair

Colorado State University Global

A woman takes notes from an open textbook

How to navigate the PhD thesis

The PhD thesis may be a mountain to climb, but you can take it one step at a time. Luis R Rojas-Solórzano offers his guidance

Luis R. Rojas-Solórzano

Nazarbayev University

A pin stuck in a calendar on a date that reads: "Write your thesis!"

One thesis, two supports, three months

Completing a thesis within 12 weeks may seem impossible, but by combining AI and your supervisor’s expertise, it can be done. Mariam Shadan shows how

Mariam Shadan

Dubai Medical College for Girls

An illustration of a man watering a plant growing from his head

How to develop a researcher mindset as a PhD student

Entering the postgraduate sphere is a whole new ball game. Shaif Uddin Ahammed shows how to hone a PhD mindset

Shaif Uddin Ahammed

University of the West of Scotland

Hands on a ship's wheel

The secrets to success as a provost

What does this multifaceted job entail and what qualities do you need to do it well? Steve McLaughlin decodes one of higher education’s most mysterious roles

Steven W. McLaughlin

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

A group of researchers discusses a prototype

How to balance teaching and research

As an early-career academic, how can you juggle teaching and researching while also prioritising self-care? Callum Russell shares his reflections on striking a balance

Callum Russell

University of the West of Scotland

A manager high-fives a member of staff around a meeting room table

Six tips for when you’re moving up into management

Making the leap into administration can feel daunting, but Yağmur Çerkez’s advice will help you to develop the skills and strategies you need to thrive

Yağmur Çerkez

Near East University

A glowing tool icon is generated from a tablet by a woman in the background

Use technology to boost productivity and beat burnout

Ayşe Hyusein advises using a range of techniques and tools for more effective time management

Ayşe Hyusein

Near East University

A woman speaks to a group of a people

Conference presentations 101: master the art of speaking to an audience

Don’t get stage fright when it comes to presenting your research. Ayten Ordu offers her tips for preparing for speaking success

Ayten Ordu

Near East University

A hand uses a laptop trackpad as candles burn in the background

Protect your emotional well-being for a happier writing experience

Writing academic papers can be a long and emotional journey. Burcu Totur Dikmen offers her tips for emotional well-being

Burcu Totur Dikmen

Near East University

Young woman using an Ipad at work

Eight ways to improve your digital well-being

To counteract the detrimental consequences of excessive screen time and digital overload, we must take a thoughtful and balanced approach, writes Nisha P. Shetty

Nisha P. Shetty

Manipal Academy of Higher Education

Clock on horizon

It can be different: managing time, tasks and well-being in academia

Academic careers are often associated with long hours, overwhelming workload and burnout – but it doesn’t have to be that way. Understanding the nature of knowledge work can help, says Katrina McChesney

Katrina McChesney

University of Waikato

Man doing yoga

How to survive the academic treadmill

When working hours are stretched to cover marking, induction and other tasks, what is a busy scholar to do? Here, James Derounian offers suggestions for taking essential downtime

James Derounian

University of Bolton

Man procrastinating at laptop

Five ways to beat the procrastination monster

Writing and procrastination often go together like pen and paper, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Here, Glenn Fosbraey offers strategies to stop putting off putting words on the page

Glenn Fosbraey

University of Winchester

A tray with a jar of bath salts, lilies and towels sits on the edge of a candelit bathtub

Let’s prioritise self-care for the benefit of everyone

Self-care can make us better at our jobs, support our students more effectively and help to build a better community across academia. Karina Dancza offers her tips on how to implement self-care in your professional life

Karina Dancza

Singapore Institute of Technology

Illustration of internal communication

How to engage your staff in just 15 minutes

You need to get updates and other messages to faculty and staff, but they don’t have much time for internal communications. Here, Kelly Hibbs offers tips to reach a busy audience in a quick, engaging, accessible way

Kelly Hibbs

University of Southampton

Human resources officer at computer

Advice for university staff on working successfully with HR

How can faculty ensure that all the touch points they have with human resources within their employee lifecycle are efficient, transparent and the best experience they can be?

Lisa Smith

University of Southampton

Student parent

Childcare remains a barrier for too many learners. Here’s how institutions can remove it

Joanitt Montano and Chike Aguh outline three ways universities can design programmes that meet student-parents where they are with their childcare needs

Joanitt Montano , Chike Aguh

College of Health Care Professions, Harvard University

Lifelong learners at university

How to coach in-employment lifelong learners for success

A team from Singapore Institute of Technology offers insights from working with in-employment learners who are seeking to upskill by studying for degrees

Chow Peck Chee , Julian Matius , May Lim

Singapore Institute of Technology

Timeline and calendar for project management

How to use a project management approach to help run research projects

Jon Gunnell explains how to adopt the PRINCE2 project management method to help overcome the many challenges of running a multi-year research project

Jon Gunnell

University of Sheffield

A woman looking after her toddler

How to win at the part-time ‘game’ in academia

Higher education might be more accommodating of part-time employment than many private sector organisations, but working part-time comes with challenges. So how can you make a success of part-time working in academia?

Rushana Khusainova, Maria Kukhareva, Rebecca Feasey, Christina Hughes

University of Bristol, University of Bedfordshire, Bath Spa University, Women Space

Group of women working together online via teleconferencing

Virtually writing together: creating community while supporting individual endeavour

Lessons in setting up and running a virtual writing group that facilitates individual and collaborative work through a supportive community of practice

Karen Kenny

University of Exeter

Colleagues laughing and having a chat over coffee

Good daily work habits for early career researchers

A collection of good daily work habits that will help early career researchers flourish, based on insight from a number of academics

Kelly Louise Preece

University of Exeter

How to make working from home work as an academic

Is working from home going to solve your work-life balance problems?

Commitment and good implementation are required from both institutions and individuals to make working from home a success, writes Brenda Lautsch

Brenda Lautsch

Simon Fraser University

How to create a university timetable efficiently

How to create university-wide timetables using free, open-source software

Creating a university timetable is a complex and challenging task that requires significant planning and organisation. Yağmur Çerkez explains how it can be done quickly and efficiently

Yağmur Çerkez

Near East University

Get healthy even as a university academic

Three easy ways to stay healthy in the new year (even with a busy job)

The time squeeze of modern university roles can make it feel impossible to carve out schedule space for health and wellness. Sandy Jones provides tips on how to do so

Sandy Jones

Colorado State University Global

Academic marking student's work

Tips to balance teaching and research activities

Five tips to help academics balance their teaching and research duties without compromising the quality of one or the other, by Abdullah Khadim

Abdullah Khadim

Al-Mustaqbal University

Time management concept

Nine tips to help students prioritise tasks

If students complain of not having enough time to complete assignments, Hassan Imad Kadhim has nine tips that will help them (and anyone else juggling a to-do list) get tasks done

Hassan Imad Kadhim

Al-Mustaqbal University

balancing stones

Recognise work-life imbalance and restore resilience

How can academics stay energised and resilient? The first step, says Aaron Davis, is take stock of those tasks and worries that deplete energy, then add activities that refill your cup

Aaron Davis

University of Washington

Work-life balance in academia can be achieved, but it's not easy

You can have it all, just not all at once

It might just be possible to achieve a good work-life balance in academia, but it requires focusing on certain areas of your life and career at certain times, says Lucas Lixinski

Lucas Lixinski

UNSW Sydney

Using a calendar to plan ideal uses of time can help academics avoid burnout

A calendar activity that can help in the battle against burnout

Working out how you want to spend your time versus how you actually spend it can be a useful tool for ensuring investment in your physical and mental health, says Sara Metz

Sara Metz

Colorado State University Global

Using the pick three method to reduce HE burnout

Using the ‘pick three’ method to avoid burnout in higher education

One can accomplish only so many tasks in a given day, so try selecting three from five designated priorities and ensuring they are nurtured, says Sandy Jones

Sandy Jones

Colorado State University Global

Dissolving alarm clock in hand

To block or not to block? How time affects learning in higher education

From intensive block plans to open-ended study programmes, the ideal length for a unit of study is under interrogation. Jason M. Lodge considers the evidence

Jason M. Lodge

The University of Queensland

Email overload

Tips for organising and optimising your inbox and messaging apps

We all suffer from communication overload in both our work and personal lives. Ingrid Benavides and Anahí Molina provide simple tips to make messages less overwhelming

Ingrid Benavides , Gloria Anahí Molina Barrón

Monterrey Institute of Technology

The magic motivation fairy does not exist for academics

Bad news, kids (and academics): the magical motivation fairy doesn’t exist

Motivation for tricky tasks doesn’t just appear magically, but with these psychological tricks you can get yourself and your career moving, says Hugh Kearns

Hugh Kearns

Flinders University

Illustration of young woman with pile of papers, laptop and timer

Ask for help: a survival guide for inexperienced academics

Research and teaching are two sides of the knowledge coin: creation and dissemination. How do young scholars learn to balance these fundamental roles?

M. C. Zhang, Aliana Leong

Macau University of Science and Technology

Time management concept

Tame the to-do list and manage an academic workload

Reduce procrastination, forget multitasking and get the to-do list done. From delegating to prioritising urgent versus important tasks, here are six practical ways to balance teaching, research and service for university faculty

Kaihan Yang , Ben K. Goh

Macau University of Science and Technology

Many adjunct professors find themselves pulled in two different directions

Five steps to help adjunct professors prioritise competing workloads

Teaching at universities while also working in industry can require superhuman powers of organisation. Brooke Wilson offers pointers for staying on top of things

Brooke Wilson

Colorado State University Global

Students clamouring for attention

The boundaries to set so your students don’t take over your life

As the role of university teacher evolves, a key workplace challenge is how to offer proximity without becoming a 24/7 bot service

Ingrid Benavides , Adela Vega

Monterrey Institute of Technology

How to balance a teaching and research workload

Three key tips to help balance research and teaching duties

With ever-greater demands being placed on university faculty, Megumi Terui offers advice on balancing two key parts of the job

Megumi Terui

Monterrey Institute of Technology

Metronome

Rhythm of a class: lesson-planning and assessment in block teaching

Block scheduling rethinks curriculum design, lesson-planning, assessment and feedback. Tom Clark outlines how this shift, as well as blended learning resources, helped Victoria University meet students’ need for clear and reliable rhythms of study

Tom Clark

Victoria University

Timing your writing and breaking it into 25-minute chunks can be very useful for time-poor academics

The ‘25 method’ for forming a writing routine when you have limited time

Olivia Burgess shares her abbreviated form of the pomodoro method for being productive in only 25 minutes a day

Olivia Burgess

Colorado State University Global

Feet climbing hands acting as steps (illustration)

From conventional course to block scheduling: adapting resources for successful learning

Block teaching can seem like an impossible task – all the teaching in less than half the time. But with intentional design of courses and resources, you can move from traditional to block delivery. Here, Ellen Buck shares advice based on her experience

Ellen Buck

University of Suffolk

Working back to front, by writing feedback before students have submitted, can help when teaching large cohorts

Why you should write feedback to your students before they’ve submitted

Starting at the end seems counterintuitive, but anticipating student strengths and weaknesses and automating your responses comes into its own for large cohorts

Andy Grayson

Nottingham Trent University

Sessional academics early in their careers should learn how to balance the competing demands of teaching and research

Sessional academics: how to balance the demands of teaching and research

Teaching and research are the pillars of academia, yet these two roles often end up in opposition to one another, says Tara East

Tara East

University of Southern Queensland

Advice from a doctoral student on overcoming common challenges while studying for your PhD

Transitioning to a PhD: common struggles and how to overcome them

Camille Bou outlines the key struggles she encountered during the first year of her PhD and shares useful insight on how she overcame them

Camille Bou

The London School of Economics and Political Science

After spending my entire career climbing the university career ladder, I'm now wondering what's next

I’ve successfully climbed the academic career ladder − now what?

Having spent my entire career trying to get to where I am now, I’m working out how to slow down and seize the opportunities ahead, says Lucas Lixinski

Lucas Lixinski

UNSW Sydney