The coming of a New Year allows us all the opportunity to reinvent ourselves. Lots choose to go to the gym more often, practice an instrument or learn how to drive. Those are all valuable, but are there any that might make you a better student? Let’s take a look…
1. Sleep More
Getting healthy is a common resolution, but there are plenty of ways to do that. A common problem for students is not getting enough sleep. Staying up too late, waking up just before is necessary, maybe drinking a little too much or staying up on the computer too long can all be disastrous for your sleep schedule and therefore your health in general. You’ll feel so much better if you keep a bedtime and sleep routine, even if it’s just a general one.
2. Be Constructive When Procrastinating
If you find it difficult to engage in your work, put yourself in a position where the alternative is even more boring (I always preferred just sitting in the library until I couldn’t take it any more- I had to work).
It’s also a good habit, if you’re a serial procrastinator, to spend your ‘wasted’ time cleaning up or doing other chores that may help your work in the long run. Tidy your desk, wash your dirty clothes, organise your old workbooks, colour code your notes. Just because you can’t work now doesn’t mean you should make it easy to not work later.
3. Work Smarter
If you still find it difficult to begin a task, try and break it up into steps and keep a list of the steps to hand. Make the steps really simple and cross through them once each step has been completed. There’s a lot of satisfaction to be gained by crossing through things on a list.
You can also try different methods of learning- instead of staring at a book for hours, try finding videos based around the topic, or an audiobook, or read it out loud. If you find it difficult to work alone, find a study group. Once you find what works for you, your work will practically do itself (kind of).
4. Find Some New Hobbies
University is not just about coursework, there’s plenty to get involved in. University is a chance to meet new people and learn new things and also develop yourself as a person. So join a few clubs or societies here and there- maybe you’ll find some new friends or a hobby for life! (And it never hurts to have those sorts of things on a resume).
5. Study Abroad
Studying abroad should be the dream of all students (we’re not biased, I promise). It really is one of the most valuable things you can do for yourself.
Use our tools here to find some courses that might just be perfect for you.
