Managing graduate coursework

How should I approach my studies?

If you are experiencing some or all of these challenges, you are not alone! By applying study strategies and tips you can build a strong foundation to help you thrive at university.

• Use your time efficiently

  Effective time management is the key to getting everything done

  Aim for control of your time by planning a balanced working week that includes leisure, work, and family life, as well as study. Use a wall planner to schedule your tasks across the week and the semester. Continually reassess and change your schedule, but keep control.

  Know how, when and where you work best

  • Do you like to focus on and complete one task before going on to the next, or do you like the variety of undertaking several tasks at once?
  • Do you find that you get more done in a particular place?
  • When do you find you are best able to concentrate on complex texts or complete demanding academic work?

  Use this personal reflection to plan your study schedule.

  Plan each day to complete specific tasks and use all the time available to you as efficiently as possible

  • Mentally review your work at the start of each day
  • Email questions before meetings with lecturers; or create an agenda for your meetings.
  • Create shortcuts such as: work collaboratively with other students, use technology to your advantage, cook a few meals at one time or spread housework through the week so there is some free time on weekends for study.
  • Make sure your workstation is suited to your individual needs and that your desk is well organised and easy for you to use.

  Get help and support from others

  • Share household tasks
  • Find out if your work provides time off for study or the option of a more flexible work schedule
  • Let your lecturers know if you are working and studying: many of them may be doing the same and may be able to share some tips and ideas.

  Link work and study

  • If your studies are related to your work in a specific field or organisation, choose familiar topics or projects that help you to extend your knowledge. This will save background research time, will provide a context and rationale for your investigation and may allow you to make a valuable contribution to your workplace.
• Get involved with university life
  • It’s important to make time to connect with other students and to get involved with your faculty activities.
  • Use your Faculty’s support networks and libraries to form connections with other students in a similar situation to you. This can develop into beneficial collaborative working groups, where you can share both personal and academic support.
• Manage your content

  Developing strategies for faster reading and writing may help you manage your content more
  effectively.

  • Use reading strategies such as skimming, scanning, and reading critically and
    note-taking techniques such as annotating, and strategically highlighting. Practice these skills to improve reading comprehension and efficiency.
  • Start your assessments as soon as possible. Select the issue or question you want to focus on in your assessment tasks and start planning how you will address the question. It’s very helpful to follow a writing process to get your writing completed on time and to a high standard.
  • Become familiar with technical language. Academic writing is for a specific audience and contains words, concepts and principles that are often new, specialised and sometimes technical. Have a place (either a book or a computer file) to list unfamiliar concepts or technical vocabulary to help you become familiar with new information in your area of study.
  • Develop systems to manage your information. For example: use EndNote or another application to keep track of references. Use a diary to record thoughts and ideas, or to keep notes on supervisory meetings.
  • Form reading or discussion groups where you can discuss topical issues, assessment tasks and research articles. This will help you understand new ideas, listen to alternate views or experiences, and share experiences of graduate study.
• Know the academic style required
  • A coursework program often requires you to present work in a range of academic styles, for example: essays, reports, literature reviews, case studies, reflective writing, proposals, articles, research reports and theses. You must become familiar with the academic requirements of these styles.
  • Make sure you understand the expectations of each task, as these may differ between units or lecturers.
  • Check if examples of past work are available.
  • Be aware of what journal articles are saying and how they are written, noting the format, style and terminology used.
  • Know the referencing style required for each piece of work submitted.
• Use the resources available to you
  • Attend as many orientation, support classes and researcher development programs as possible, such as those provided by  your faculty, the Graduate Research Hub, the Graduate Student Association (GSA), the university library and Academic Skills.
  • Explore the University of Melbourne Student Support Services webpage to ensure you have an understanding of the services you can use to make the most of your time here.