What with the stresses caused by exams and coursework deadlines, the need to study and revise at all times, and the fact that life always finds a way to get in the way, being a student is no mean feat. If you want to earn the best grade possible and set yourself up for a successful career in the future, however, you just have to deal with it. More to the point, you have to find a way to stay on top of your workload… even if it means sacrificing your social life from time to time.
Here’s what you need to do to stay on top of your workload as a student:
Ensure you have essential tools at hand
There’s nothing more distracting than not having the equipment you need to study at hand when you most need them. Before you know it, that trip to the campus store to get a pencil has turned into an afternoon spent in the pub with that classmate you bumped into along the way,
To avoid such distractions, you must ensure that you have your essentials studying tools at hand at all times. In this instance, it’s best to stock up on the following general pieces of equipment before you do anything else:
- Stationary
- A computer device (a desktop, laptop, or tablet)
- A printer and all of its add-ons — you can buy toner cartridges online for low prices at Cartridge Shop.
- A timetable planner/diary
- Notebooks
Write everything down
No matter what your lecturer or professor says in class, write it down. Even if it seems inconsequential or downright tedious at the time, the little nugget of information that you manage to record could end up being your saving grace come exam time.
Establish a routine… and stick to it.
The best-laid plans of students often go awry when they veer off of their routine. Before you know it, waking up late on Monday has resulted in you missing your lecture scheduled for that morning, having to catch up on what you missed on Tuesday afternoon and missing your planned study group as a result, and heading into your exam on Wednesday wholly unprepared. Then, you should establish a routine and stick to it at all costs… even if it means missing Sunday Funday and getting an early night instead.
Keep a checklist
As the name suggests, a checklist will help to keep you in check. It will allow you to tick off all of the tasks that you have completed in the past and subsequently remain abreast of what you need to do in the future. This will stop you from wasting your time on tasks that you have already finished and then focus your effort on the jobs of a more pressing and urgent nature.
If you’re serious about getting and subsequently staying on top of your student workload once and for all, then you must heed all of the advice laid out above.