Staying organised at University

Within the next month I'll start my second year of studying Psychology at university, something that frightens the crap out of me. Finishing last year with a 97% in one exam and being 2% of an A in the second, I ended first year feeling really proud of myself for juggling a part time job, a relationship and maintaining a social life whilst still passing all my modules and exams.

One of the downsides of my course is how much reading is involved - whether its textbooks for an essay or journal articles and studies for seminars. If I am not writing an essay, it is pretty much guaranteed that I will be reading a textbook that I will end up referencing for half a paragraph in the final draft. I will put my hands up and admit that I had skipped out on some (a lot) of the reading I should've done for seminars but for the most part I stay fairly on top of things. Obviously life does get in the way and I have found myself pulling an all nighter to get an essay handed in on time - 6pm till 6am anybody?

Keep a to-do list 

It sounds so blatantly obvious but sometimes just having all of your chores written down in front of you makes a world of difference. I got this little pad from Kiko last summer whilst in Singapore and as well being absolutely gorgeous, I love the different sections including the 'something for you' section which comes in handy when reminding myself of the exciting things planned outside of deadlines and 9:15 lectures. 

Make a shopping list and stick to it 

One of my worst habits is getting home from work, completely ignoring the fresh food in my fridge and making a bowl of supernoodles for my dinner. Not only was I wasting food when it inevitably went off before I could eat it, but also money when I had to repurchase - and chicken is expensive when you're a poor student. I recently started writing out meal plans (with some leniency) and I have already saved so much money as well as restricted the amount of junk food I am binging on. I'm currently loving finding easy recipes on Pintrest, especially ones that require only having to shove something in the oven or use one pan. 

iCal

This app is a lifesaver. Having originally downloaded it for my university timetable last year I have used it non stop since, with all my work shifts, parties, birthdays and deadlines all being located on one app. Just use the normal calendar on your phone I can hear people scoff, however the beauty of iCal is that I can sync it with multiple calendars including my university one, something my normal one on my phone is somehow incapable of doing. 

Set out 'you' time

With lectures, essays and work rotas, life can get a little hectic without incorporating friends, boyfriends and general relaxation time into the mix. My boyfriend is lucky in the way that his collage schedule is pretty much set each week with only the occasional change around show times - with infrequent written work needing done outside of class (I say this, he probably does get assigned tons and just doesn't do it) meaning that a lot of the time it is up to me to work around my reading in order to spend time with him. Whilst I'm not saying ditch your work for your boyfriend and pals, having the occasional night off can let you tackle that final essay draft with a clear perspective the next day, and stop you from isolating yourself from your friends. 

 Plan ahead 

Whether its planning around a special occasion or just making an essay plan, having that little bit of preparation can make your life a whole lot easier. If I am travelling to Dundee or know I am going to be working a lot around the deadline, I force myself to make sure I at least have a good 80% of my essay finished before any events happen - not only does this give you time to amend any mistakes but it allows you to go on nights out guilt free. If you are like me and have a course which is 95% essay based then you will either love or hate essay plans. For me, they help me get the ball rolling as I normally struggle with what to write after the introduction/first paragraph, and although I normally veer off track by the end of the essay it is a useful tool to help get rid of any writers block. 

How do you stay organised at Uni/college? x