It is that time of year where I am sure any fellow third year University students will agree with me by saying “I can’t wait for summer!” With countless essays, exams and then of
It is that time of year where I am sure any fellow third year University students will agree with me by saying “I can’t wait for summer!” With countless essays, exams and then of course the mothership that is driving your degree, the dissertation!
It is so easy to get caught up with everything else going on around you during your final few months of education so, here are my top five tips to ensure you stay focused, motivated and relaxed during this important and final stage of your University studies.
Find a time of day to work that suits you
I think this is one of the most important steps to make when it’s time to knuckle down and get your head into those books. This is different for everyone so you need to find a time that suits you. For example, when I don’t have lectures to attend, I tend to wake up between 8am and 9am. I then spend about an hour to shower, have some breakfast and get into some comfy clothes before I hit the books.
On the other hand, my step-dad was telling me that when he was at University, he preferred working through the night and wouldn’t start his revision or written work until after dinner. It all depends on what works best for you!
Regular breaks
Something else that is really important is to give yourself breaks throughout your revision or study periods. Your brain will frazzle if you just keep ploughing through and you will end up getting stressed out that you haven’t added to your word count. It’s not a crime to take a break, you’re only human too!
I have serious OCD and like to write a plan of when I am going to take my breaks throughout the day. During these breaks I like to flick through social media to give my head a rest and catch up on what’s been going on in the world. If schedules are not your cup of tea then you could set yourself goals. For example, when you reach a certain word count then take a break.
No social media
This is a tricky one and something that I struggle with all the time. It’s made even worse when you are on a computer and you know that Facebook and twitter are only a few clicks away. It’s not worth it! Knowing what your friends did last night won’t get you that degree, so don’t even think of opening that new tab!
Forget about your class mates
It is so easy to get caught up in what other people have been doing on their work and how far they have done and it is equally as easy to then stress about your level of work. How do you know that they are in fact doing the work correctly in the first place? They are doing something different for their dissertation and will have a different way of working. It is good to catch up with course mates to see if you can share tips to help each other, but try to keep it to that and not get worried and compare word counts.
Don’t give up!
I know this may sound cliché but you only get one shot at this so you need to make it count. You might have to miss the odd house party or a night out but as soon as hand in day arrives then you can go out all you want knowing that you have worked to the best of your ability. That is the real celebration.
I hope you find those tips helpful. Come on class of 2014, WE CAN DO IT!!
What advice would you add? Have your say in the comments section below.
Image: Sean MacEntee / Flickr
