Balancing University lifestyle, society meetings, a social life and work can be hard work – especially for young people thrown into the unexpected valleys of ‘adulting’. When assessments and assignments come along on top of all that, there’s no doubt that things can get pretty difficult. But there are simple ways to get on track for deadlines and be well prepared for the workload to come:
1) Write a clear list of assignments
Before I do anything else at the beginning of the year, I compile a page full of my modules, the assignments and the deadlines in a bullet journal, looking something like this:
MODULE001 Essay > 14th November > 60% ◻️ Presentation > 2nd December > 10% ◻️ Proposal > 15th January > 30% etc. This not only helps to get a clear vision of the workload over the course of the year but enables you to focus on assignments and assessments that are closed due and see the workload that they demand. You can begin to think “a 60% essay due in this month needs to be started now, and I need to give it serious time and consideration”. Once it’s complete, you can tick the box with a bright red pen, alleviating the weight and stress of that assignment and giving you space to rest your mind and live life again until the next one.
2) Make the most of your time
If you have a lecture at 10 am in the morning, you may be tempted to think “that’s pretty early, there’s no time to get any work done in the morning” (I know I do!) but let’s be realistic here… why can’t we set our alarms an hour early and get some reading done, or write a paragraph or two before heading out?
I feel people have the tendency to say “there’s just no time” but what about those journeys on the bus or the metro? What about that ‘wasted’ hour in between lectures? What about what you choose to listen that the gym or on the move?
Surely there are more productive ways to spend this time, and more useful media than simply scrolling through our Facebook pages… which brings me nicely to my next point.
3) The Social Media Ban
One of the biggest things that stunt my assignment productivity is social media. I’m working away, and then *ping* there’s a notification that drags me out of my flow and into a two hour Facebook conversation about a different module or about someone completely non-related.
In order to be best prepared for assessment writing, turn them off!! Turn off the notifications, close Facebook from your laptop screen and don’t even bother trying to Instagram how productive you’re being, or how ‘instaworthy’ your workspace looks – it’s just not worth it.
4) Look after your personal wellbeing
Finally, in order to be well prepared for the stresses of assignments, get plenty of sleep and give yourself time to rest and switch off before going to bed. There’s nothing worse than staying up the night before or waking up with a headache and sore eyes unable to begin the work again. Take it easy and don’t worry – worrying achieves nothing.
Get yourself some motivational snacks and a hot drink to work with. Every now and again, something to eat, or a tea break can really refresh you to get refocused and be in your most productive mindset.
I personally love to make a pot of tea and leave it to the side with a bar of Cadbury’s chocolate – “I guess another paragraph means another square of Dairy Milk” *slurp* “Now let’s boss just this next paragraph before finishing for the day.”
Whatever your struggle, these assignments will be done in no time if you take the time to prepare, plan and focus. The more you work now and balance a life of rest and productivity, the more you can play later.