Photos by Dom Fou on Unsplash, Marcel Strauß on Unsplash, and Unseen Studio on Unsplash
For some, the pressure of existing at university is a harrowing endeavour; each coursework a bludgeon to the chest, each work shift a rage-inciting atrocity, each household chore a gruelling domestic battle. Application stress materialises into a bitter poison, spreading ominously, seeping closer, closer still, a venomous assailant to your weary mind. Exercise lumbers down desolation rows, whilst socialising, a forgotten dream, utopian yet morose. Is this extreme?
The brevity of student life creates a suffocating enigma. To gain clarity on how to maximise time at university, I’ve interviewed experts from the established online learning platform, Superprof, host of 37 million private tutors. Drawing on their professional experience, I’ve discerned two key angles to focus on: fashioning time and utilising time.
To fashion new time, we must first comprehend its callous nature amidst the dynamic transition into university. Whilst the escape from incessant parental and academic surveillance can be revitalising, the newfound independence from entering an unstructured environment has an unnerving requirement for discipline.
Hannah Mirman, executive careers coach, warns “It can be tempting to enjoy the flexibility of university and push off studying, but don’t fall into that trap!” Disorganisation in an atmosphere seething with distractions can cause days to fuse into weeks and years, leaving you befuddled and bereft. What are these gluttonous thieves of our time and how do we disarm them?
First stop, social media; “My biggest worry for young people” alleged psychology specialist, Peter Bolam. Countless students have fallen victim to the phosphorescent glow from their mobile phones, drawing parallels to the enchanting Greek sirens, luring passing sailors to their deaths.
The consequences of phone addiction are equally morbid; Bolam warns against “the strong relationship between time on social media and underperformance in exams”. Drowning in effortless dopamine, students become desensitised to the insidious time sink created online. The stark contrast between shallow scrolling and focused learning erodes our cognitive abilities, causing neglect to all facets of life, not just studying.
The plot thickens. We allow our addiction to manifest, exacerbated by our chronic proximity to devices that stems from our social obligation to stay digitally connected. I probed Bolam, “how can students mitigate against digital distractions?” The advice was concise but layered: “Turn it off!”
Breaking free from technology is an arduous process, requiring patience and determination. Like any addiction, relapse is a tangible prospect which we must overcome for technological liberation. To fashion time for the living, one must defer from the phenomenal digital world and re-enter the physical sublime.
Next, “the number one indicator of underperformance is a disrupted sleep pattern” Bolam observes. However, disruption is intrinsic to student life. Finding relief from the rambunctious colour of light against the disordered pattern of day can be problematic. Amidst university’s turbulent velocity, how do we attain sufficient rest?
Bolam accentuates the importance of numerous key principles to “maintain sleep hygiene”. It’s essential to attain eight hours of sleep at synchronous timings each day. It’s essential to eliminate devices and study outside your bed. It’s essential to reduce napping and sleep throughout hours of darkness. Equally, it’s essential to strike a balance. Rigid conformity to sleep ideals can make us slaves to our schedule. It’s encouraged to shadow this guidance whilst navigating the possibilities presented.
Having meticulously carved out surplus hours, we can now decipher how best to utilise them. Students often sacrifice their sanity when pummelled by ceaseless deadlines and obligations. Mirman recommends “time boxing is an effective tool to stay organised across competing commitments”. This entails crafting 1–3-hour specialised slots in your most effective hours, allocating the difficult tasks first for a sustained sense of achievement throughout the day.
Drawing from the universal lecturer’s phrasebook, Bolam reinforces “succeeding in exams is a marathon not a sprint”. He encourages intrinsic and extrinsic motivation; first achieved through simulating feelings of “deflation” from underperformance or elation at success, next by “keeping the goal in mind”. Time boxing can help isolate singular tasks within overwhelming assignments.
Postgraduate and internship applications present further labour. Mirman advocates the utility of networking with alumni, exploring career sites, and building up a LinkedIn portfolio. Mirman, recently infiltrating Bolam’s bookshelf, states, “the key is not the hours you spend, but how you spend them”.
As chaos ensues, now arrives the toil generated from shopping, laundry, cooking, and finally cleaning; a chore frequently overlooked by certain housemates. Adding work into the equation only exacerbates the predicament. Bolam believes time boxing supports a tangible remedy: “Routine!”
Responsibilities now alleviated, Mehrasa Nikandish, senior international trainer, endorses how to enhance performance: “regular exercise improves discipline, focus, and time management”. Nikandish recognises the cognitive benefits of physical activity, comprising reduced stress, anxiety, and overthinking. Lifting weights, running, or even walking will suffice. Furthermore, joining any sports team, from tennis to taekwondo, is highly recommended for its social significance that supplements exercise.
Therefore, Bolam understands “students need to balance their studies with social life”. This is a painstaking challenge, a study showing that 70% of students in UK halls feel isolated. Nevertheless, with over 26,000 students at Southampton University, there’s near statistical certainty that like-minded people exist. Courage when attending lectures and seminars, joining societies, or within halls can help you find them. Student life presents countless vibrant opportunities that we can leverage.
After this exertion, how can students recoup their depleted energy reserves? Bolam implores students to “find ways to actively relax that give a sense of achievement”, contrasting senseless scrolling. Creative hobbies and reading employ stimulating brain functions that lull the academic mind. Film and TV consumption is further encouraged as rest. Ultimately, it’s crucial to shape relaxation around pastimes you truly enjoy.
I’ll end with a quote from Bolam: “We live in an age where we know exactly how effective learning is created, but students don’t engage because they’re used to easy wins”. By combating time wasters, organising responsibilities, and finding balance, the brevity of student life can be overcome.
With that, the pressure of existing at university is lifted; each coursework a new personal best, each work shift a pain-relieving osteotomy, each household chore a serenading ceasefire. Application stress dissipates into the air due to moisture, dispersing weightlessly, parting further, further still, a welcome exhalant for your soul to unwind. Exercise races to vanquish your woes, whilst socialising, a euphoric stream, transcendent as it flows. Is this a dream?
