Iâm headed into my 3rd year of uni, so I thought Iâd make a post sharing my tips on how to do well in school, not burn out, and keep your mental health relatively stable.
1. Snacks - seriously, donât leave home without at least 2 substantial snacks in your bag. If youâre go-go-going all day and suddenly your sitting in a lecture about to crash cause you havenât eaten anything all day, youâre gonna want snacks. Some suggestions: Cashews (theyâre not super loud/crunchy, so theyâre perfect for lecture snackinâ), a granola bar, an apple, cherry tomatoes, trail mix.
2. Donât buy the textbook before you go to your first class - Iâve worked at a university bookstore for 2 years, and every year, people end up buying 700$ worth of first year text books, and then they donât even use them. Wait. and then wait some more. If there are required readings, then get the textbook, if your prof says there will be questions from the textbook on the exam, then get the textbook, but trust me, for 90% of first year classes (and a lot of other ones) you donât need the textbook. SAVE YOUR WALLETS
3. Take notes efficiently - honestly the best way to take notes, is type up the lecture notes that are provided, BEFOREHAND, and then during lecture, fill in the blanks/add information/take down any important things your prof is saying as you go through the lecture on your laptop in a different color. This way youâre much less likely to miss any important information, you wonât be confused about what to take down, and you wonât fall into the trap of taking down notes that are already being provided to you. After class, or while making study notes, copy these notes out by hand to remember what you learned.
4. Keep it simple - pretty notes are GREAT if you have the time, but once you get to upper level uni, and you have 100 slides of notes to turn into study notes, you will not have the time to make your notes look aesthetically pleasing. Just get the info down so you can focus on learning it.
5. Have a designated study space - i did all of my highschool homework and studying in my bed, and 90% of the time, I ended up falling asleep. My bed wasnât going to cut it for uni, so I got a cheap ikea desk, and itâs made me so much more organized and productive.
6. Take as much âyou timeâ as possible - take a bath. light candles. binge watch a tv show. veg out with a book for 4 hours if you have the time. do your makeup super special one day. get yourself that venti pumpkin spice latte with extra whip whenever you feel like it. Uni is a shitty time Iâm not gonna lie. Itâs stressful as f*ck, and whenever you can spare a couple hours or a couple dollars to TREAT YO SELF, do it.
7. Â If you have anxiety, CUT THE COFFEE. caffeine is a huge trigger for anxiety. Caffeine takes away from your sleep, messes with your adrenalin systems, and can make you super paranoid and anxious all the time.Â
8. If you think your in the wrong major, change it - I started in geology, and I HATED IT. Now Iâm in psych and I love it. It is never too late for a change of program. If you think youâre doing something you donât wanna do, or your not enjoying it, donât do it.
9. For mornings you have to be ready and out the door, or if youâre a person who always runs late, have a getting-ready routine and get it down pat. Have a mental list of things you need to do, and things you need to remember, and find out how much time it takes you. Get up at 8am, shower, wash face/brush teeth, get dressed, do makeup, pack bag, remember keys, wallet, laptop, notebook, pen and train pass, have breakfast, put on shoes, leave by 9am.
10. Utilize your time in transit. - finish a reading, go over flashcards, read study notes, listen to an album youâve been meaning to listen to, read a book, read some fanfic, idk but donât just sit there unless just sitting there is what you need.
11. Find a hobby or passion that is separate from your school/uni life. Whether its playing sports, or running, reading, collecting plants, making scrapbooks, curating a refined taste in tea, having baths, writing in a journal, find something that if youâre bored with watching shows or studying, you can go do it, and enjoy it, and get your mind off all the other shit thatâs going on in your life for awhile.
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