Across the UK, you guys will be enrolling on campus within the next few weeks. While many of you will be beaming at the prospect of a new start, others will also feel an underlying worry about getting back into the right working mentality! It‘s been several months since the A-level exams, after all. To help keep your nerves at bay, here are five simple ways to help ease you into the daily grind of uni life.

1. Create the right environment

Before lectures start and the long library hours begin, make sure you curate the ideal desk space in your room. Why? Because mounds of papers can make it feel as though you’re snowed under an unmanageable avalanche of work. Start by ridding of all the unnecessary junk you accumulated at the freshers fair! As well as any rubbish lying about, and tidy up gadget cords that will distract your eye line. Invest in organisation units such as pen pots and folders and keep objects on your desk to a minimum. A tidier workspace helps create an oasis of calm that’ll prevent procrastination. It may also be worth buying a desk plant or two as they’re known to reduce stress.

2. Invest in quality tech

It’s the 21st century, so you can’t be productive without some high-quality tech. And as a student, having the right devices is crucial as nothing’s more infuriating than watching your laptop crash while mid-essay. The Microsoft Surface Pro is ideal to help minimise frustrations as it’s one of the fastest and most reliable models on the market. It's also light enough to carry anywhere (great for when you’re moving from lecture hall to lecture hall). Plus, right now you can get a 10% discount on all Microsoft products when you use your UNiDAYS membership!

3. Set a timetable and organise your calendar…

One of the best parts of uni is having your own independence. But that freedom also comes with the responsibility of having to set your own schedule. Having a solid structure to when and how you work is key to getting you back into the flow of studying. Start by allotting which hours you’re going to dedicate to reading and writing, and make sure you factor in breaks. Setting realistic targets every day will also keep productivity up; for example, “Read textbook” is a task with no end in sight. Whereas something like “Read chapter one and make bullet points notes” is far more specific and manageable. Don’t worry if it takes a while to figure out which routine works best for you. Just don’t pursue one which makes your burnout mid-way through term one.

4. …But also learn how to break it

You know that moment when you stare at the same sentence for a good 20 minutes while little-to-no information absorbs? We’ve all been there. And that’s the silver lining: hitting the brick wall of studying is a universal experience. So don’t worry when you have some afternoons that don’t go as well as you planned because it’s only natural. And the best thing to do is break away from it, trying to plug away at a piece of work while your mind is a waste of your energy that you could be channelling elsewhere. So pack up your books, get some fresh air and meet up with some friends to help re-set your mind before trying to chip away at your workload at a later date.

5. Keep a solid work/life balance

Although you’ve enrolled at uni to get a degree, you’re not there to work all day and night. Social activities such as sport or society meet-ups aren’t only a good means to meeting new people, but they’re also a fantastic way of clearing an overtired brain. Moreover, they can also act as an incentive to help get you through a long library session.

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