Preparing for the year ahead

Being an extreme organiser myself, back-to-school shopping is my favourite time of the year; I make multiple lists per day (and include tasks I’ve already completed – guilty) and spend a lot of time perfecting my Kikki.K planner. However, I know this isn’t the most effective use of time and I certainly know that a lot of my friends and colleagues do not share a Marie Kondo-like passion for organisation like me!

So, here I am to give you some top tips for preparing for this year like a boss. I love to talk about organisation, but hey, no-one’s perfect, so I’m hoping these tips will give me a motivational pep-talk for the year ahead too!

1. Subject Outlines

Let’s start easy – open your laptop, log onto Canvas (your online UTS portal) and print-off your subject outlines. Easy, right? Now, get yourself a diary or wall planner or some such thing! Personally, I am all about the looks AND functionality, but hey, whatever floats your boat – as long as it has this year’s dates and has enough room for you to write and actually read what you’ve written, it’s a winner!

So, you’ve got your subject outlines and a diary, you can guess what I’m going to say next… go through those outlines and write down all your assignment due dates. To make it even more enticing, I usually like to start with writing down all the uni breaks, public holidays, birthdays etc., but make sure you get to the assignments too!

2. Colour coding

Another ‘lil tip I’ve come across is to colour code different subjects. Some super clever people even pop any social engagements in a particular colour, so they can quickly squiz at a week and think “woah, I need to reign it in…that’s the week before exams!”

3. Timetable

A personal favourite of mine is the trusty timetable. At the beginning of each semester I like to open up an excel spreadsheet and make myself a timetable, including all my classes, placement and other commitments.

I also try and aim to spend a few extra hours on campus per week to get work done and dusted. This is particularly helpful for a big assignment, thesis or something that you know you need to commit a good chunk of time to, and even better when you can convince a few of your mates to hang around too, at least then it makes it a bit more bearable!

The most important thing to remember is to find a routine or a method that suits you.

Now… even though I could talk about organising ‘til the cows come home, the most important thing to remember is to find a routine or a method that suits you! There’s no use putting things into place, not being able to stick with them and ending up feeling guilty and even less motivated! So, take it step by step and remember – my tips are only a guide, but make sure whatever you put in place is HELPFUL for you!

– Alicia Piper 
Clinical Psychology graduate