5 top tips for studying theology part-time
GDip student Emily Paterson shares her five top tips for balancing your studies with the rest of life!
1) Be realistic
Before you commit to the course, plan out what a typical week would look like in the middle of the term. Ask yourself the following questions:
Is this a realistic plan?
Do I have enough leeway for the unexpected?
Is this a sustainable pattern of life?
2) Create a study routine
Create a study routine. It really helps when other commitments are piling up and demanding more time to have already carved out some space for study. There may be times when you need to change things around, but it’s much easier to do that as an exception than to have to squeeze in study as an extra each week.
3) Get others involved!
Tell some other people about your study schedule and invite them to ask you about it – often! There are two reasons this helps – firstly, it’s encouraging to talk about what you’re learning with others. Everyone wins! Secondly, it’ll help you not to get side-tracked on a regular basis if you’re sharing how the reading is going and being honest about when balancing your commitments is a struggle.
4) Focus on one thing at a time
Switching often between different types of tasks leaves me feeling tired, stressed and distracted. So I’ve roughly divided my week by part-time work priority and study priority. This helps me concentrate better on both. And on days where I just have to do a bit of everything, I find it helps to plan out the time I’m giving to each thing – for example, I’ll give myself 2 hours to finish a work task, then move on to study, doing the food shopping, and so on!
5) Take advantage of resources and support from Union
How we use our time matters, and it’s been a good opportunity to learn from others. Union has all kinds of support to help students get the most out of their studies. From resources on study skills to people you can talk to for advice and practical help, there are lots of chances to grow in these skills. Why not pick out one book for summer reading that could help you prepare?
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