Amelia’s Weekly Study Tip 1: Making Progress

DSC_0142Hello! Welcome back to uni! I don’t know about you, but every semester I begin filled with motivation to keep organized and on top of my work. I always plan on keeping on top of my readings and weekly tutorial work, as well as starting my assignments early and pacing myself so that they’re not left until the last minute. But what often happens is, a couple of weeks into semester, all of that good intention goes down the drain and I end up getting overwhelmed with everything I need to do. The result is me giving up and spending my weekends napping and eating chocolate, and then pulling all-nighters and cursing myself for my lack of organization.

Over my years at uni, however, I have discovered many tips and hints that have helped me manage my studies and extra-curricular commitments. So what I’m going to do is, rather than write one massive blog post containing all my tips, I’m going to break my tips down into separate, weekly blog posts.

Today, I’m going to start with sharing with you the ultimate truth that underpins all of my learned tips and hints. It is the mother-load. The red pill. The Philosopher’s Stone.

Making Progress

The truth is, I need to feel like I am making progress. And for me, motivation, organization, and time management are three interlinking skills that allow me to make progress when it comes to managing my studies and extra-curricular activities.

No matter how motivated I might be at the beginning, this will fall apart if I am not organized or am not making progress in doing the tasks I need to do. Consequently, not being organized and able to manage my time really damages my motivation. If I’m not organized, I end up feeling overwhelmed with everything I need to do, which results in everything coming undone. Conversely, no amount of organizing or time management techniques will help if I’m not motivated. I just won’t follow through with them, and I’ll end up back at square one.

So when looking to find ways to manage your study better, consider these things: organization, time management, motivation, and making progress. If you want to read more about motivation and the notion of making progress, check out The Game Changer by Dr. Jason Fox. It is a very good read that was recommended by a business executive at a conference I attended last year.

Stay tuned for my next tip!

– Amelia