Uni is a long ol’ game of survival. But despite the stress, what if you could thrive too? This how to survive and thrive at university.
Self-Control
An enormous part of making your university experience easier is to have self-control. Write on your calendar that you will study for one hour before class and COMMIT. Tell yourself that you will listen to Taylor Swift’s entire folklore album in one sitting to clear your head of uni work and COMMIT. Take down all of your deadlines and aim to have your assignments finished a minimum of three days before it’s due and COMMIT.
It’s one of the hardest parts of university, but once you can master self-control, everything else will fall into place. You will notice that you are thriving without trying.
Routines
By establishing a routine early on in the term, it can help prepare you for the chaos that comes with end-of-term deadlines.
Don’t forget to factor in basic things like doing the food shop or going for a walk – although study will take up the majority of your time, be careful not to make it your life.
Work-Life Balance
A healthy work-life balance should naturally come with a good routine, and it a vital way of making sure that you thrive. If you find that you’re not getting a good enough mix, be proactive in doing something about it.
Joining a society or taking up a local volunteering position can help with this. It means that you are (gently) forced out of your house regularly, and it makes sure that you spend time away from your studies.
Be the friend you wish you had
Friendships are an ENORMOUS part of the university experience and without them, thriving would be incredibly difficult, even for the most introverted of introverts.
Be aware of you as a friend. What type of friend are you? Needy? Loyal? Dependable?
What type of friend do you want to be? What type of friend would you need right now? Be that friend.
Romanticise!!
I have always said that romanticising university life is one of the best ways to thrive if you commit to it. If it helps you get more work done, pretend you’re the hard-done-by student in the American teen drama. If it brings you joy, read your textbooks on your daily walk, or take them to the local park with a picnic.
Make your university experience the Pinterest board of your dreams.
You chose your degree for a reason. Your experience will only be what you make it. So, make it.