One of the biggest concerns people have when starting uni is how to handle the workload. This can get even harder when you have a job to work around, kids to consider or other family commitments you have to meet.

At Flinders, we spend a lot of time helping students balance their studies with the rest of their lives. The good news is, there are lots of tips, tricks and hacks for people who are looking to take their first steps into uni life.

 These are a few of our favourites.

PRIORITISE

Your life has a lot of things going on, and it can be messy. When things get busy, that mess is likely to get out of hand. So, prioritise.

Determine what you need to achieve and make a list. An actual list, not just a list in your head that you’ll inevitably change to suit each day’s challenges. Write it down and keep it handy.

Make sure you list the.most.important.things you need to achieve, not just the.things.I.want.to.do.first.because.they.are.easier. Be honest with yourself about what is important. Your life won’t be all about uni, so neither should your list. Start with the most important and work your way down.

SCHEDULE

Once you’ve determined what needs to be done in what order, set yourself a schedule. But make sure it’s a realistic one. Giving yourself 28 hours of work to do in 24 hours just won’t cut it. Write down everything that may affect your available time, including:

• Work time
• Personal time
• Travel times
• Break times
• Sleep time
• Eating
• Time with the kids (four-legged kids included)
• Unexpected time (in other words, include some time for unexpected events)

Don’t stop here if you can think of more items. It’s your list…

You don’t have to go to extremes, just be comfortable that you understand how your days will play out, so you can be comfortable with the times you have set aside for your university study.

If it’s looking too tight, don’t ignore the warning signs, they’ll come back to bite you. be practical and see what you can adjust to make things work. Perhaps you could study on the bus? Or watch a lecture while you eat? Be realistic. If your schedule just doesn’t seem to work, don’t just assume you can push through and everything will magically fall into place. You’ll set yourself up for a fall. That’s what Flinders Student Support Services are for.

AVOID DISTRACTIONS

Part of setting priorities and a schedule is setting yourself up to avoid distractions. You know what you have to do and when you have to do it, which makes it easier to avoid those moments when… oooh, look a unicorn….  Sorry, those moments when you inevitably get distracted.

Be tough. Create a dedicated space for study. Turn off your phone. Tell your roomie/partner/kids that you need the next couple of hours for study.

By setting yourself up properly and avoiding distractions, you’ll actually reduce the overall time it takes to study, making it easier to keep that study/work/life balance

Contact us

We offer one-on-one appointments with our prospective student team to discuss career options, pathways, and course and entry requirements.

TAKE CARE OF YOU

Take a look further up this page. Personal time is a major part of your daily schedule. It has to be. Personal time is important to your mental health, and good mental health helps keep you happy and productive.

Make sure you take the time out to socialise, exercise and generally let the wrinkles in your brain smooth out (yes, we know your brain is supposed to have wrinkles. Don’t get picky).

When you dive back into study, you’ll be more relaxed and you’ll perform better.

Healthy eating and good sleep patterns are also hugely important. Those U.S. college movies that show students cramming for 48 hours straight while eating burgers and drinking beer from plastic cups are not documentaries. Eat well. Sleep well. Be well.

REVIEW & REWARD

Simple, but important. Take the time (no, you don’t have to schedule it) to look back at what you’ve achieved and give yourself a pat on the back. Or new shoes. Whatever makes you smile. You’re balancing work/life/study for a reason; to give yourself a better future. Celebrate your successes.

So, what’s the takeaway from all this?

You can do it.

If you set yourself up for success and work towards that success, guess what? Your chances of succeeding go up astronomically. We know that’s true because we’ve seen it over 100,000 times. Over 100,000 alumni have successfully graduated from Flinders, and almost all started their journeys with the same sort of questions you have.

Flinders has an incredible range of support options to help you plan and balance your university studies with your work life/family life/social life.

We understand the sort of challenges you may need to work through, and we’ll help get you set up for success.

If you need us, we’re here. Or up there where the links are. You get the picture.