by Hannah (Student Blogger: BSc Biological Sciences)

One of the biggest challenges academically when coming to university is discovering your best pattern of study. Without question, studying is a massively important component during your university experience – at the end of the day, it’s what you came here to do. Everyone has end goals for their time here at Lancaster. Whether that’s getting a 2:1, going on to do a masters degree or getting on a highly competitive grad scheme, most of these goals entail a specific academic requirement.

By the time you’ve reached University, you’ve been studying for the majority of your life. You’ve survived the torment of GCSEs and the rigor of A Levels or the IB, maybe you’ve even taken other examinations like music examinations. Looking back, these all seem relatively easy in comparison now, right? But at the time, they were some of the most stressful, sometimes tear-inducing, academic processes you had to go through. No one ever teaches you how to study, at least no one ever told me, they just tell you to “get on with it”.

Sometimes though, you could be putting in hours of painstaking work, but none of it seems to be registering. Whether that’s because of the type of learner you are, the time you’re revising or the method you’re utilising to study, there are a multitude of factors that need to come together. A quick Google search and you’re confronted with a whole host of webpages, from advice columns to journalistic research, and it quickly becomes apparent just how overwhelmingly complex the whole process of ‘studying’ can be.

For me, it took quite a long time to work out my personal academic rhythm – over a year in fact. With all the personal freedoms you encounter whilst first beginning university, it can be quite challenging to become self-disciplined.

Personally, I am a night owl. My personal productivity and peak academic performances occur in the window of 1am – 4am. Now, this can be quite a problem if you live in the city centre and like to utilise the library – hence why I’ve taken the decision to move back to campus for my third year. My first piece of advice to you would be to see if you notice any trends in your alertness and productivity to maybe amend your schedule toward studying during those hours.

Crucially, be organised. I know, everyone blabs on at you all the time about “not leaving it to the last minute”, or maybe you’re one of those lucky ones who are completing assignments weeks before the deadline and this doesn’t appeal to you, but nevertheless it is important. Sorting out revision schedules and carrying out research for assignments can be monotonous, but it alleviates so much stress once it’s done. It can be easy to become distracted by everything going on around you at University. “I’m just going to get food” as a library break can quickly turn into cocktails at Grizedale bar if you’re not too careful – my personal favourite procrastination option. Maybe try to think about those cocktails in the sunshine after you’ve submitted your deadline?

A wealth of other factors come into play whilst trying to get the most out of your studying strategies, but for me, organisation and peak productivity timing, are two of the most important. Playing around with your academic habits can seem tiresome, but starting in first year so you know what works for you by third year, is undeniably worth the effort.