Author: James Taylor
So you have begun undergrad … life is different from school, you are in a new environment, new people and with that comes new challenges. During your undergrad you may come across this triangle:
There is a critical piece missing from this triangle which is of course - Work. If you are among the lucky few who can afford to live at home without having to pay rent then kudos to you. The reality is that many students beginning University are also working to survive. When you have to work and balance Uni assignments, life can be extremely challenging.
A few tips on helping with getting a better balance - try to organise your Uni timetable around your work, or if work is more flexible do the opposite. I was fortunate to have a steady job one day a week, and I made sure that no classes were scheduled on that day so I could always work. Not all jobs are this flexible, and it’s not always possible to plan your entire semester in advance. In such cases, it’s helpful to give your manager plenty of notice, as University classes typically follow a fixed schedule. This way, your manager can be aware of your availability ahead of time and accommodate your schedule where possible.
Planning out your semester schedule with assignments is critical to reducing stress in the long run. I typically like to do this in Excel...because I’m a nerd. I would get the course outlines as soon as possible and then put them all into a spreadsheet with the major assignments highlighted. Every semester in my three year degree I would do this and every time I would think how am I going to complete this? The reality is one week at a time. Cross off the assignments that you have done and the semester will fly by before your eyes.
Attending class is also extremely important, as difficult as it can be to drag yourself out of bed for an 8:00 AM math lecture. Studies have shown that class attendance is directly linked with success at University.
Another critical skill, which I think helps students, is having a good working relationship with academics. Crazy thought but academics are people too and showing an interest in their work can lead to some amazing opportunities, especially if you can demonstrate a level of critical thinking by asking questions about their research.
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