How to prioritise your wellbeing whilst studying at university
When you’re studying at university, whether you’re living at home or in halls, it’s important to prioritise your wellbeing. Having a balance between study, and personal life is key for being in the best position to reach your potential. This can be split into two simple sections to focus on: organising your studies and making time for yourself.
Organising your studies
The first step is to organise your study so that you can use your time efficiently. Once you receive your timetable with your lectures, seminars, and any practical sessions, you’ll be able to see which days are busiest. Depending on your course you might have lots of contact hours which will mean you’re on campus every day, or they could be more spread out throughout the week. Plotting your timetable out on paper or a digital calendar will help you to see where you have time during the day.
On days when you have more than one session on campus, treating your day like a 9-5 job and studying in the gaps between lectures is an easy way to give yourself more free time in the evenings. Using libraries and study spaces on campus also allows you to separate your spaces and keep your bedroom as a space to relax.
Getting into a routine with your studies and keeping track of deadlines will help you to balance your time, so you’re not cramming revision the night before an exam! If you look on your module information, or ask the module leader, you’ll be able to have a list of the deadlines and any readings or assessments. Adding these into your calendar will put you in control of your deadlines and stop them from creeping up on you.
Many universities will have their own online systems and apps to make it easier for you to keep track. For example, Newcastle University where I studied have their own app which provides your timetable and lots of other useful information.
Making time for yourself
Making time for yourself to do something that you enjoy is important for your mental health and wellbeing. It’s a chance to relax and let your mind rest after studying. There’s no one size fits all for this, it could be anything that brings you joy. Some examples are reading a book, going to the gym, seeing friends, watching Netflix, cooking your favourite food, visiting a coffee shop, playing videogames, or even just getting some fresh air!
It could be as little as half an hour a day, and something that you add into your timetable on top of study breaks to motivate yourself, or an entire evening to unwind.
Don’t forget that drinking plenty of water, and getting enough sleep are also crucial for your wellbeing!
If you’re struggling with organising your studies or taking some time for your wellbeing, here are some links that may help you:
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/wellbeing/wellbeing/
https://www.studentminds.org.uk/lookingafteryourmentalwellbeing.html