Getting back to the Grind

The December period is over and it’s time to prepare for the next semester. Boo! It sucks, I know, but sometimes we need these times to really appreciate how awesome those long breaks can be sometimes.

So, since the work has to be done so you can get that degree, here’s a few things to do to help you get prepared for the return to uni (if you haven’t already).

Make a List

Some people love lists, others find them laborious, but particularly if you’ve got to travel back to student accommodation it’s important to make sure you’ve got everything you want to take back with you from clothing, to your notes, to your new presents as well as making a list of any further provisions you’ll need like food or anything you’re short of in the Essential Student Supplies that you might not have stocked up on before going home.

Task programs on your smartphone or tablet are helpful for this, or if you’re a multi device person like me, give Todoist or Evernote (not sponsored) a whirl and have your checklist with you wherever you go. If you prefer to go lo-fi, then the dead trees and ink approach is still a valid option.

Find Out Who Is Back When

One reason many hold off going back early is the fear of being on their own with nothing much to do, so make use of your contacts on your phone or social media to find out when your friends are going back too. If you think about it, going back early isn’t always bad. The library is quiet, so are the clubs (meaning they might finally play your song) and the pubs (no lines at the bar) and you can play your guitar at the volume your amp secretly wishes you could play at!

Maybe Finish Those Assignments?

Yeah…your deadlines will be coming up so if you haven’t started them yet, it’s probably best do start now lest you having to pull another all-nighter… (Totally not done that before).

Let Work Know Your New Timetable

If you’ve got a termtime job, it’s worth letting your employer know your potential changes to your timetable. New modules doesn’t always mean they’ll replace the times of the old ones – particularly if you share classrooms and teaching spaces with other programmes in your department(s). If you don’t, there’s a chance your sessions could clash with your shifts and before long you’ll soon find that either your job performance or your attendance/assignment performance will suffer, or both and that’s not a great start to the year!

Have Some Fun!

Going back to campus doesn’t need to be all depressing, if you’ve got a few days before the semester restarts and you’re back with your mates, go out and enjoy the reunion and remember the good times before all the exams and going home!

 

Going back to uni needn’t be a (organisationally) difficult process if done in advance of the semester starting again, so save yourself some stress and enjoy the good times before all the work begins again.

Happy New Year and I wish you all the best in a productive as well as fun 2017!

Mike

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