We all have those days when no matter what you try, it seems impossible to collate your thoughts and put them into words that actually make sense to the average human being. Apparently, writer’s block isn’t a thing but sometimes it’s difficult to set yourself in that frame of mind to create a piece you’re proud of. As you’ve gone a few days without writing a coherent sentence, the doom of deadlines approach and panic sets in. Wouldn’t it be comforting to know that you’re ahead of the game? Here’s how…
Read and Analyse
Reading doesn’t take much mind power and it is a way to ensure that you are keeping up or ahead. By reading along with a handy pen or two, when revising for an exam or writing essays, you will have completed one of the crucial steps.
Set Yourself a Schedule
Setting a schedule you know you’re never going to stick to is a sure way to feel like an unproductive failure. A schedule doesn’t have to equate a regimented plan like you’re in the army. Even just setting one day a week aside to do extra work can help. What works for one person may not work for you, so it’s a good idea to experiment and discover what works. Yes first years, you too. By time you get to second year you would have found a schedule that works making you already a step ahead of the game.
Rewards and Incentives
The prospect of doing work over partying, socialising or, my favourite, napping is one most find challenging. However, using the above as a reward or incentive and knowing that you have been productive makes them all the more enjoyable. Using incentives such as naps, watching an episode of a favourites TV series (if you have the self-control to limit yourself to just one) or having a scrumptious snack calling your name and being able to answer is not bad to break up uni work.
Reading Weeks and Holidays
Believe it or not reading weeks are designed to catch up on missed work or to get ahead on upcoming work. To those of you who haven’t got a clue what the hell a reading week is, I apologise. However, everyone should be familiar with holidays. Yep, they’re a great time to relax and do nothing but it is possible to set some time aside to do work also. When your friends or family suggest spending time together or that one event comes about that you just can’t miss, it will be rewarding to accept knowing that you’ve been productive.
By Amy Boyd
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