This past year has taught me so many things, by forcing me to be self-sufficient while working from home. Why not share what I’ve learned with other people? This will apply to anyone, but especially students. This may be a long one, but it’s all really useful stuff!
Organisation and motivation
If you’re organised, that’s it, you will be successful. It is the single most important thing to doing well in your academic or professional life and it helps immensely with motivation. Here are some tips that have really helped me:
o Get an organisation app. I recommend ‘Todoist’. You can create sections for each module and add tasks and subtasks, and it makes a really satisfying noise when you tick something off. This is a great way to store your main tasks and have an idea of what you’re doing that isn’t just in your head.
o Check your emails every day! If you’re not checking your emails multiple times a day, you might miss something really important. Set time aside in the mornings and evenings to go through your emails, and if you need to flag something to follow-up later, remember to make a note of what the task is in Todoist! (This isn’t sponsored, I promise :D)
o Notebooks, diaries, calendars. Have a month-to-view paper calendar above your desk. Great for important dates, such as due dates, birthdays, and meetings and it give you a nice overview of how busy your week will be without having to open any books. Have a diary where you put in meetings, lectures, and anything else where you have to ‘be’ somewhere, even if it’s virtually. Have one notebook for notes, and one for conferences! The more notebooks, the better.
o Manage your workload and your time. Don’t set yourself more than you can handle. I like to make a daily to-do list, and I try not to give myself more than 6 big tasks. I also keep track of my achievements in the day, so I don’t feel down if I ticked barely anything off the to-do list, I can see that I actually did more than I thought! If you find you aren’t achieving ‘enough’, set yourself less and your motivation will increase! In terms of big daunting tasks – little and often.
o Pretty and clean workspace! If you’re working from your bedroom, have your desk facing away from your bed if you can. That way, it feels like you’re ‘at work’. Keep your desk clean. Have as few things as possible on it. A lamp, a plant, a pen pot, and your laptop are all you need. Then, have small prints of a relaxing scene on your wall. The prettier the workspace, the better!
Being pro-active beyond your degree
For me, being pro-active means going that extra mile to develop yourself. Not for anyone else, it’s a purely selfish, and important act of self-love. Once you’re in a happy little rhythm, being pro-active is just second nature. If you follow the above tips on organisation, I promise you, you will start to enjoy work much more. Then, you can focus on being pro-active:
o Say yes. Don’t toss aside that random email from your university telling you about an opportunity. Follow it up there and then, and you won’t regret it. You never regret taking up opportunities.
o Write down your long-term goals. The only reason ‘manifestation’ works is because once you have decided what you want, you do what it takes to get there. Tell yourself what you want, and then put in an action plan.
o Societies. Join your degree society at uni, you’ll meet some lovely people and be a part of some fun events with like-minded individuals. As a further step, become a member of organisations and societies for things you are interested in. There is a society for everything, and they often offer pretty cheap student membership. For example, if you do geography, join the British Ecological Society, the Royal Geographical Society, or the Linnean Society. There is a society for everything and make sure you are an active member. Go to the events and stay in touch with the newsletters.
o Make a journal of things you are interested in, and keep adding to it. All too often, something pops into my head and I’ll think ‘ooh, I wouldn’t mind doing that as a career’. If you keep note, it will make looking for careers much easier.
o GO TO WEBINARS. Webinars are the best thing ever. You get to hear about something you love, you can meet some great employers and professionals, as well as friends. They are often run by professional bodies that you will be interested in, such as the societies you have bought your membership to! Listen to what the speakers say, make notes, and follow them up. Another great thing about webinars is networking which I will go into more detail a bit below.
o Newsletters. This leads to my next point. Speakers at a webinar will always have come from a society or organisation. Find the website and subscribe to their newsletter. They always have interesting information about jobs and events.
o Networking. This is so, so important. It ties in nicely with attending webinars and signing up to societies and newsletters. Before attending, do some research on your webinar by looking at who will be speaking. Connect with them on LinkedIn and get your name noticed. Ask for their email and keep in touch with them after the webinar. Networking is such a great thing to do because people are SO HELPFUL. Some of the attendees of webinars I’ve been to have helped with my dissertation and given me some really useful professional pointers.
o Get active on social media. Develop your LinkedIn profile, make a professional Twitter, and start a blog, like this one. Twitter is so underrated for professional development – follow organisations you’re interested in on here and LinkedIn and be sure to tag them in your posts about their events and webinars. Such a good way to get your name noticed. Twitter is also a great place to find mentors.
o Mentors. Search the field you’re interested in, for example ‘Ecology’ and add ‘mentor’ to the end of your search on Google. It’s so easy to get paired up with a skilled professional that has been in the field for years and can guide you through your careers.
Winding down, self-care, and being reflective
There are a million things I could write here, but I’m trying my very best to keep this brief, but taking care of your mind and body should be the top of your priority list.
o Be reflective. One of my lecturers told me that he keeps a critical reflective journal of his teaching methods – what works well and what doesn’t. You can do the same thing as a learner. Keep note of how you learn, manage your time, and organise your day. Learn what works for you. This is so important. Another good way to be reflective is by creating a blog like this one.
o Exercise. Go on a short walk before 9 and after 5. This will make you feel like you’re commuting if you’re working from home.
o Wind down. I like to fall asleep by midnight. I try and wind up work by 8 at the latest, have dinner, and begin my evening routine. I put on my comfy PJs, have a glass of wine, get out my trashy novel, and relax. Having a proper wind down has helped me so much with the quality of my sleep. Taking care of yourself is so important, and it helps with motivation and mood.
It’s not easy.
It takes time but you have to put in the work if you want to do well, and it’s as simple as that. I really hope some of these tips will help, but I do not see myself as someone solicited to give advice, but these things all really help me with doing well. This blog could go on forever, but I don’t want to bore people, so if you want to hear me ramble on some more please email me at anoushka2.alexander@live.uwe.ac.uk, or connect with me on LinkedIn (see the home page and click on the logo). I’m always available for a chat about anything too.
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