Image: Unsplash
Image: Unsplash

New year, New me: Studying edition

New Year, new me!’ is a phrase ringing in all of our ears after the recent New Year celebrations. People constantly talking about resolutions and determined that they will change their lives for the better this year.

Perhaps your Christmas break consisted of lazing around, eating Christmas dinners and endless boxes of chocolate. Or, perhaps you took the break to catch up on some studying you felt behind on. Or, maybe you have been overworked doing paid jobs over the Christmas period and feel burnt out before the term has even begun. No matter what your holiday looked like, there are many things that you can do to make the transition to University term less of a shock.

#1 Get things together for your new modules

It is surprising how much more appealing studying feels when you have a filing structure in place. Whether it is buying luxurious new stationary, or recycling old files, feeling organised is vital for starting the new term. I find it particularly helpful to write a list for each new module, including things like important deadlines, readings and tasks, so that I know exactly what is happening in which module.

#2 Vary your study places

One good way to ease into actual study sessions is by trying out new study spaces and keeping them varied.  Coffee shop environments are a great place to start, try going to Costa or Curiositea on Campus, the slightly less intense environments like coffee shops are handy to get you started with the new term in a less intense manner.

 #3 Prepare for being busy

University terms inevitably get busy with deadlines and social activity. Why not take some time now to prepare for this and make you life easier later on – make sure your bills are set up, your cupboards are well stocked with ingredients for cooking, and you could even pre make some meals and freeze them for when you don’t have time to cook. This will ease the pressure for when deadlines are set and there is less time to do the everyday things that need doing.

#4 Get back to a good routine

I always find the best time to start good habits is a few days before the term actually begins. This is most helpful if you live in accommodation where you can move in slightly early, but you can do this at home too. Starting with adjusting your sleeping pattern from holiday to term time, starting to eat at regular times that can slip over the holiday, and building up studying time. Often over the holiday routines can go out of the window, so its good to get this sorted before 9ams come.

#5 Take a day off

University terms can be very intense. It can be a good idea to rest before term starts starts. If that’s something that will stress you out because of impending deadlines, maybe try and take two half days instead. Taking some time out to do something completely different can be very beneficial to later concentration and efficiency. Remembering to take time to think, and to spend time with friends outside of the University environment is vital.

 

 

 

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