Recently, I had a conversation about university with my younger sister who’s fresh out of high school and realized most of us aren’t really prepared when we get to post secondary education. As a twenty-six year old who’s been in school most of her life, I have a few tricks up my sleeve, but I’ve learned all of it by trial and error. So, if you have no clue what you are doing, don’t worry, we’ve all been there. Here are a few tips to get you started – or keep you going – on the right foot!
1. Treat it like a 9 to 5
For me this is very literal: Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm, school has priority. It also means treating school like work. Would you skip a work meeting to sleep in late or go shopping? Probably not. So why are you skipping morning classes to do so (in this case, you means me)? The idea behind this is to develop a work ethic and practice showing up and putting in the hours you need to succeed. It also allows a better school/life balance since it frees up evenings and weekends for work, personal projects, social life, and hobbies. I am well aware this is not realistic for everyone, but you can tailor it to your own needs and still succeed!
2. plan ahead
Making sure you know when all of your assignments and exams are, and giving yourself enough time to complete them, is essential in university. At the beginning of each term, I read all of my syllabuses and write every assignment in my planner. I also have a board where I write down all my evaluations for the term so I can visually see the busiest weeks and plan accordingly.
Then, I do a weekly planning session where I break down my tasks for the week in smaller, easier goals. This is also where I assess time for each task. The trick is to multiply the time you think it should take by 1.5 and time block it in my planner.
3. find your study method
There are so many ways to study, and what works for your friends might not work for you because our brains don’t work the same. Trying different methods and figuring out what works for you early will save you so much time, but it’s never too late. Whether it is using quizlet, changing lyrics from a catchy song to your class notes, teaching the class material to someone (or your cat), or something else completely, don’t be scared to experiment or look silly – the important thing is, does it work?
4. create a study space
Whether you still live at home, in a dorm, with roommates, or on your own, creating a cozy space where you can focus on school is essential. If you can do it space wise, I do recommend having a dedicated space that is only used for studying. This way you always have everything you need in one space and your brain associates sitting down at this specific spot with focusing on school – the same way the bed is associated with sleep. If that is not possible, try finding a spot with little to no distractions, and make sure you have everything you need on hand so you don’t have to interrupt your work flow every five minutes. Having a quick routine before studying can also help your brain know it is time to focus. It can be as simple as making a coffee and putting on a work playlist – I find that concentration music on Headspace works great for that.
Happy studying babes, and don’t forget to have fun and take care of yourselves too. School is not everything!
XOXO -D.