Organisation is the key to mastering your masters, says Clinical Psychology student Alicia Piper.
It’s easy to become daunted, overwhelmed and downright nervous about the mounting homework and assignments in front of you. Now you have two options: 1) sit there and stress over what comes next or 2), get on top of it NOW so future you will be #grateful!
Easy enough, hey? Well, the hard work is in the planning and organising, so why not give it a go now?
1. Write it down
I’m sure we’re all familiar with the quote ‘failing to plan is planning to fail’, and as cheesy as it is, it’s 100% true. Personally I love the organisation side of things – buying some cute stationary, colour coding and generally creating the illusion that I know what I’m doing. But seriously, writing down your assessment tasks for the semester can be a massive help in planning out your semester; helping you to look ahead and give yourself plenty of time to get on top of everything! Your assessment tasks and due dates can always be found in your Subject Outlines, so take some time to write it all down and you’ll be on your way!
2. Do your readings
I know, I know, it’s everyone’s most hated time of class... time to discuss this week’s readings. Instead of trying to make up some half-hearted contribution or *conveniently* needing the bathroom, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to confidently contribute to the discussion? It may sound nerdy, but I think it’s a good goal to work towards and I’m sure your lecturers can easily pick those who participate and those who can’t sink any lower into their chair even if they tried! So, even though they’re long and sometimes tedious, I challenge you to give it a go... hey, you might even learn something!
3. Be on time and be present
Buses run late and trains get delayed. Sadly, that’s nothing new and we need to learn to plan ahead. Try to have everything prepared so once you’re in your classroom, you can be fully there. No matter how sneaky you think you are, our teachers and lecturers are clever people, they can see right through our blank nods in between scrolling through Instagram - and it’s not a good look. At the end of the day, these are the people evaluating your performance in your course, so no doubt you want to make a good impression, not to mention fulfilling the goal of why you’re here in the first place!
4. Be willing to put in the hard yards
This is certainly nothing new... you’re all here at the GSH because you’ve done exactly that - worked hard in undergrad and that hard work has paid off! Unfortunately, now is not the time to take a break. Continue that hard work and you will be rewarded!
5. Take care of yourself
I know what you’re thinking...how do you expect me to have ANY time, let alone ‘me-time’? The reality is, if you expect your mind and body to do what you need it to, you need to look after it! Take some time each day to do something for you. It doesn’t need to be extravagant or costly, just be sure to do something! That could be taking your dog for a walk around the block, catching up with friends for coffee or simply sitting in the sunshine at lunch. Just do a little something everyday and your body will thank you for it!
– Alicia Piper
Clinical Psychology student