These days since we attend most classes, group study, tutorials and work virtually, it can be tempting to spend the whole day in front of the computer. We suggest having a plan for study time and relaxation time each day. Rest well at night, especially during weekdays so that you will be refreshed enough by morning. The Do Not Disturb (DND) feature and Bedtime reminder are really good tools to help you stay consistent with this. When planning your week, you can dedicate the weekdays to studying and sleeping and the weekends for entertainment and full-time relaxing. This helps you put in the work knowing that you can be entertained once it is Friday.
Use Planning and Organising Apps
As much as you can, strive to stay organised and avoid procrastinating – as much as you can. Reading tasks, reports and assignments can quickly pile up and leave you frustrated (we know this all too well). If you drop the ball, pick it up immediately. A good strategy will be to make use of organisational Apps in addition to handwritten to-do lists when scheduling your time. To-do lists only work when tasks are scheduled. You can use your phone Calendar App, Notion, Excel or any other efficient system to schedule tasks. I enjoy using a physical old school daily planner and Notion. A number of universities also have study management Apps with in-built calendars like Canva, Blackboard or others. Making the most of these tools can help you know when your assignments are due and exams are scheduled. Also, universities use this to prepopulate key dates for you to note in your study year. If your university does not offer any such App, simply use your Calendar App to record key dates like exams, assignment due date, career fairs, and others. Remember to set those reminders.
Using Library Resources
You cannot rely on your lecture slides alone for good grades. See them more as “guides”. It always helps to have good textbooks, articles or additional resources in your library that provide additional insight into what is being taught in class. Searching for library resources can be time-consuming, especially when you have assignments and coursework with tight deadlines. By library, we don’t just mean the four walls of a building packed with books. The word library connotes a larger meaning nowadays, including access to electronic resources. Hint: Bookmark your university library link for quicker access. Knowing how to use library resources can cut the work you have to do in half, so reach out to your librarian for help. Find out if your university offers a library induction session (or its online equivalent) so that you know how to maximise library resources. An induction session will show you how to borrow books, get access to/downloading electronic resources, what to do when your university does not have access to certain resource banks and so on.
Leverage ‘Human Capital’
Make the most of the ‘human capital’ you have around you including those officially provided by the University in the form of lecturers, teaching assistants (TAs), guidance counsellors, academic support leads and fellow classmates. Ask as many questions as you need to and reaching out for some guidance where you are uncertain. This prevents unnecessarily wasted time and stress that comes from struggling to figure out things if you had someone to explain things to you. You need to form good relationships with your peers and the university officials and as you would expect, the benefits of such relationships surely go beyond your basic coursework; hence, are very much advised.
Understand what works best for you
Be sure to understand what methods/environments work best for you. This means your learning, concentration, study pattern and so on regardless of what seems like the ‘norm’, what has been advised or what may have worked for you in the past, figure out what works now. Even if it means trying a couple of ways till you find a system that works, it will be rewarding in the long term. This also applies to committing your time to different activities outside of school work, keep in mind what your goals are for the academic year as this will guide what extra things you should (or not) take up per time.
Meeting with friends and Family
I know, I know. Meeting people is officially a no-go for now. That’s the more reason why taking the time to speak with family and friends is even more important. This will help with mentally balancing things, sharing your concerns and getting help when you are finding coursework or life, in general, tugging a little at your ends.
Join the Outliers Circle community so that you can keep in touch with others who may be going through/have gone through what you are experiencing and can support.
Sometimes, all you can do is breathe and take things one step at a time. Don’t forget to reach out when you need a shoulder to lean on. We all need it.
Till next time.
Best,
Tosin Adedipe and Joys Alabi