Settling into Your Academic Routine

16 Oct 2024

Hi, my name is Sabrina, and I’m a final-year BAM student of Art History and English. Whether you are continuing your course this year or setting foot on the campus for the first time, the beginning of the semester can feel a bit daunting. We just got ourselves through September, which often feels like a whirlwind when you are trying to organise your new classes and get settled into the busy university environment.

If you’re feeling a bit tired already, know that it’s okay and a very normal experience of the transition from a more leisurely summer to the fast-paced agenda of the academic year. At this time, it’s essential to lay out an effective system by which you get yourself organised for the upcoming months. Learning how to structure your workload and daily life is one of the most important skills to develop during university in order to stay on top of everything and not only succeed but do so without burning out. Here are some tips that have helped me become a better, happier student:  

Get yourself a calendar. This can be a physical one to hang on the wall, your usual notebook planner, or the Google Calendar app on your phone. Put down the dates on which your assignments are due, organise them by modules, colour-code, and set up reminders. Anything to help you put a structure in place so that you are always aware of key dates and know how to break down your workload and what to prioritise. This is a simple tip but has helped everyone I know tremendously. Mark the weeks in which you will be extra busy so that you can mould your usual routine around those times (like starting meal prep and scheduling study sessions). If you know you will be tied up with assignments in the first week of November, try to get your readings done by the end of October. We are all aware of deadlines and the importance of time-management, and putting everything on paper (or into an Excel spreadsheet) helps make your structure more solid and manageable. For more tips, keep an eye out for the Skills Centre workshops on Time Management that they run several times a semester. You can also look through their 24/7 Success Zone resources on Canvas about Time Management .   

Be an active participant in your learning journey. Read the assigned materials (even if not for a grade), participate in class, and reach out to your professors if you have questions. This not only helps your overall understanding of the subject you are studying but actually aids you later on when assignments are out and you need to work as efficiently as possible. Being an active student helps you stay organised within the material and keeps your learning more stress-free. This can be hard to keep up during exam periods, but especially towards the start of the semester, it is an excellent way to ease into the later, tougher months. 

Take care of your wellbeing. This is obviously so important in general life but is especially essential during the busy routine of university. You cannot write the best essay yet when you’re feeling overwhelmed and drained, so keep in mind that you need to fill your cup first. Try to implement small activities and self-care habits into your daily routine to stay balanced and keep a positive headspace. Stretch after you wake up, get enough sleep every night, go for a walk between studying, and get a nice water bottle to stay hydrated while on campus. If you need to take the afternoon off just to watch a movie and relax in your bed, then do exactly that. Maintaining an active social life is a huge part of this too. Meet up with your friends, join a society or a club, and schedule in something fun every week. University is not only an academic journey but a personal one too, so keep yourself surrounded with people to share the experience with. The tutors in the Skills Centre are more than happy to chat to you about getting back on track with managing your workload, planning assignments, presentations, study prep, and more. You can meet the during the Drop-In Clinics in Skills Centre, Q-1 Boole Library or Pop-Up Centre at the Makerspace. You can always find these times on our Public Calendar. If times get difficult, there is always a support system to lean on, such as the UCC Student Health & Wellbeing services, which offer free counselling for anyone in need. You can find more student supports in the Student Support Tree. 

Remember that balance is key. With October and first assignments coming in soon, it’s important to implement these things into your life and just try your best to enjoy yourself along the way. Thank you for reading, and best of luck!