What is self-management?
Self-management is shown in people who
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accept responsibility
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act with integrity
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show flexibility
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develop personal resilience
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show initiative
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demonstrate appropriate assertiveness
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practise effective time management
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demonstrate an ability to improve performance based on feedback
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come up with ideas unaided
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show an ability to meet your objectives independently
University life can be quite overwhelming at times - Freshers Week is a great example of just how many activities there are on offer, before lectures have even kicked off! - so from Day 1 it is really important to develop strong self-management skills. They will help you make the most of your time at university and get you prepared for the exciting but busy life that awaits post-graduation.
Students who display self-management skills can be extremely attractive to employers. It suggests that they can hit the ground running, solve problems quickly and effectively, and generally make their lives easier! If you are considering starting up your own company or undertaking freelance work during or after your studies, it is imperative that you can perform well in this area.
Self-management 'behaviours'
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Meeting personal goals and objectives
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Coming up with new ideas and using your own initiative to move projects forward
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Remaining committed and persevering when your workload is particularly heavy
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Showing flexibility when plans change unexpectedly and being able to prioritise
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Accepting change positively and looking for support when necessary
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Assessing risks and foreseeing problems before they arise
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Thinking entrepreneurially and creatively
Self-management skills development: examples and evidence
Self-management examples and evidence
Academic related
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Consistently meeting work deadlines
Working on/completing a dissertation or lengthy project
Planning a revision schedule
Preparing and delivering a presentation
Completing the holiday reading list
Completing course work in advance
Arriving at lectures on time
Coming up with ideas to improve your course in a consultative forum
Attending Teaching and Learning Centre events|, such as
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Studying and surviving at LSE
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Adjusting to life at LSE
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Managing your time
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Effective reading strategies
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Overcoming perfectionism
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Overcoming procrastination
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Managing study-related stress
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Mindfulness and stress management
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Extra-curricular
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Starting up your own business
Fitting in clubs/societies alongside academic commitments
Long distance running/marathons
Learning a new language at home
Independent travel/gap year
Regularly attending the gym
Signing up to self-improvement courses
Creating a marketing campaign (eg for election to university societies)
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Work experience/volunteering
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Regularly meeting and/or exceeding sales targets
Organising an event with an allocated budget
Completing an appraisal form
Writing a business proposal
Opening and closing a shop/restaurant at the beginning and end of a day
Working from home
Visiting elderly people on a weekly basis
Assisting at the local youth club
Keeping a learning log/reflective journal about your experiences
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Other
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Familiarising yourself with online self-management tools
Using project management packages
Keeping a diary and recording 'to do' lists (online or hard copy)
Building a career development plan
Signing up to an IT Outlook course to improve time management skills
Building and maintaining a comprehensive LinkedIn profile
Actively seeking feedback from peers
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