Chloe's top tips for balancing your studies and wellbeing

16 May 2022

BSc International Management ambassador Chloe, shares her top tips on the importance of maintaining the right study/lifestyle balance.

It is officially the assignments and examinations season. Walking into the library and sitting in front of the same study desk with a pile of notes, sometimes you just feel tensed by the atmosphere and wonder, how to find a study-life balance at university? Before switching yourself back to the ‘do-not-disturb’ mode and returning to your revision,  take some time to breathe in and scroll down this blog – here I would like to introduce four tips that might help improve your wellbeing.

First tip: Keep a planner and set weekly goals

The number of deadlines in one course is out of our control, but we can keep things organized to facilitate the work progress. One of my study hacks is to keep a planner with all the tasks to be done each day, recording my lectures and seminars timetables, assignment deadlines, and social activities. I also manage these events by allocating different colours to them.

For instance, group meetings are marked in green, social dinners are marked in yellow, lectures are marked in blue. It allows me to easily figured out if I have a balanced academic and social life. Apart from that, I also set a weekly to-do list so that I can prioritise time for different work and prevent getting stressed by last-minute workload, which is especially useful when it comes to the busiest weeks of the term. By breaking tasks simpler and listing out your goals clearly, you will be surprised by how efficient you can be and how satisfying it is when you tick the boxes after accomplishing each task.

Second tip: Meet and hang out with friends regularly

The best part at university is that there are a variety of social events to participate in throughout the term. To have a study-life balance, I usually try to get all the work done during weekdays so that I can hang out with my friends at weekends. During the term, I manage to go on several day trips to other cities in the UK such as London and Bristol. These regular meet-ups are important for your social wellbeing since spending time with close friends can boost happiness and relieve stress, be it a quick dinner catch-up. If you do not have time to mingle, finding a study partner is also a good alternative as you will be more motivated to revise than studying alone.

Third tip: Maintain a healthy lifestyle by doing exercise and eating well

Despite being a piece of old advice, doing regular exercise not only enhances your physique but also reduces tension and anxiety. There are many home workout videos online, as simple as a 10-minute workout for hectic days, so why not get energised? This should partner with a healthy and balanced diet.

We all crave some guilty pleasures and we need them as rewards. However, it is vital to eat nutritious food so that your body will be well-functioned for enhancing memory and attention. True as the fact that it might not be easy to execute while studying for exams, but maintaining a healthy lifestyle is beneficial to both your physical and mental wellbeing, which increases work productivity at the same time.

Final tip: Do not forget about having quality me-time

Last but not least, having some quality me-time always promotes the best recovery after a long and tiring day. It can be any hobby you enjoy doing: listening to your favourite music, cooking a delicious meal, watching a movie etc. It is essential to unwind your thoughts and take a mental break, which helps lower your pressure and keep your mind refreshed. For me, no matter how full my schedule is, I always spend 15 minutes every day on a simple yoga and stretching exercise.

Right now, I am working on my marketing group project which is going to be due next week, while there will be two more deadlines coming up during the Easter break. I understand how overwhelming these can be, but maintaining a healthy well-being can also increase study and work efficiency. Just as it is important to keep your work to a high standard, it is equally crucial to set time aside for relaxation and recharge so that you are not constantly burnt out. I hope the above tips are useful for your studies and let’s get through this term together!

If you would like more advice regarding balancing your university lifestyle or would like to see the wellbeing resources available at Warwick please see here.