Student blog

Throughout your time at university, you will also have other commitments such as work, socialising and hobbies you may have. It is important to make sure you have time for these other commitments while also prioritising your academic studies. Here are some tips to help you with balance:

Plan your week in advance

You can do this in a diary, on a whiteboard, on a Post-it note or on a piece of paper you put up on your wall- whatever works best for you. You can also make it decorative because that can make it more visually appealing, so you are more likely to look at it more.

Block out the times for specific planned activities, this may include if you attend a sports club or society and for work. Also, take note of the times of your lectures and any life admin you need to do such as your laundry. Using the leftover time, allocate time for studying, your hobbies and for socialising. Work out what time you prefer studying and plan around this so if you are a morning person, you can study in the morning and relax in the evening. Also, think about if you prefer studying during the week and relaxing in the weekend.

Attend your lectures

Try to attend as many lectures as possible; it is okay to sometimes miss a lecture, and it can be difficult to manage to attend every single one. However, if you are unable to attend a lecture, try to catch up on it as soon as possible be that through the lecture recording or the PowerPoint. You can also ask your peers or tutors within your modules for help.

Balancing

It is important to make sure you are not taking on too much paid work. The University recommends that you do not work more than 15 hours per week during term time if you are an undergraduate and 20 hours per work during term time if you are a postgraduate. This is to avoid burnout and make sure you are able to focus on your studying. Ask for help if you find work is interfering with your studies; the university can provide financial support including budgeting advice and loans.

Have a good sleep schedule; go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning. This will help you feel focused and refreshed so you are at your optimum as well as helping you feel good about yourself.

Prioritise your mental and physical health. Your health is ultimately the most important thing and it is important that you are feeling well and okay. It is okay to ask for help and let the university know if you are struggling so you can be supported.

Start now

It can be easy to delay the work that needs to be done and keep telling yourself you will do it tomorrow or next week and so on. Start going over your content now and start looking forwards to your assignments. It is best to not leave it to the last minute; why don’t you break down that assignment and make a start now with a plan on how you will approach it?

In summary, it can be hard to balance various commitments and I know I have found it hard at points. Make sure you prioritise your wellbeing as well as have a clear plan of how you want to approach what you need to do. This can help you massively!

Tugce studies Psychology with Neuroscience. She enjoys going for walks in nature and attending dog-walking society at uni.

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