Becoming a higher education student recently, I found it hard to get my head around things that were new to me, as it can be for anyone else. But after finishing my first semester of University, I found some tips that I would give to new students. It's important to keep a calm and organised mind when there are many many many assignments and preparation work to do for your classes.
Use a planner, whether it is physical, online or digital, and write down all of your due dates as soon as you get them.
Write down your schedule in your planner to make sure you don't create plans that you don't have time for.
Wake up early enough to wake up properly and get everything ready, also have some time for chores and for yourself. This is helpful to make sure you are well prepared for your first class and be as productive as you can be.
Prepare before bed! Make your lunch for the next day, pack your bag, take clothes out that you want to wear tomorrow, make sure you packed all of the work you need for the day and have everything finished, don't leave stuff to do before class, you might not have enough time. Preparation is key in education.
Make sure you have and organise your resources at the start of the semester or as soon as you need them. This can be stationary such as jotters, folders or pens, but also resources such as study group or personal tutor meetings.
Ask your friends, family or school staff to read over your assignments before you submit them. Fresh pair of eyes will spot any errors or spelling mistakes that you have been glancing over.
Have 'Go to spots', this can be for study, for example the library or a quiet cafe, or for eating, for example create enough time to go back home and eat or find a cafe or take-out place you can find healthy options, another great place to find is a place you can exercise, make it easy for yourself to fit in a fitness routine, for example the local gym or the University/college swimming pool. Places that you automatically think of when you need to study, feel hungry or even want to exercise.
Keep track of your progress and grades, ask your tutors for your assignment grades and feedback on what you can improve and make sure to implement it. Create a plan on how you will implement these changes and take it a step at a time.
Make time for self-care, this is extremely important to make sure you don't overwork yourself and in return, work less effectively in classes and when studying or writing an assignment. You can divide your self-care to have an hour or two a day to yourself, and one full day or evening to yourself a week. With this system I found myself relaxed and I found it easier to finish my work.
Submit and print assignments the day before, this saves you stressing out on the day when the printer doesn't work or the submission link doesn't work. Also a lot of people submit and print things on the day of submission, so the submission link and printer will be packed. Save yourself some time and nerves, and do it the day before.
Join some clubs! This is not only important for your CV, but also for your social life and mental health. Clubs will allow you to meet people that have the same interests as you, it will also make you feel part of the group and you won't feel lonely which will help your mental health.
Eat clean but don't restrict. They're giving away free cupcakes at the Cafe, grab it if you want, and don't have a snack later on, or make your dinner smaller or healthier. You know you will be going out with your friends, and you will probably eat a lot? have a smaller meal during the day. Don't restrict your enjoyments, just adapt other things around it to suit your body needs.
Most importantly, remember to enjoy yourself. As many say, these are the best years of your life, so don't restrict yourself.