The 7 ways I’m planning to lock in for my final year

For those of us who have returned to York for our final year, the panic is already beginning to set in. Or at least I know it has for me. 

Between actually working out how to even start my dissertation, keeping up with deadlines and trying to maintain some form of a social life, I have already started questioning how I’m actually going to make it through the next nine months. 

So, as any good procrastinator does, I’ve made a list of all the ways I plan to lock in this year. 

1. My planner is going to become my best friend 

I think I have officially reached the age where I can now understand why my mother has always had a physical diary. It genuinely makes your life easier and everything feel manageable. 

Being able to physically write tasks and plans down seems to commit everything to memory a lot quicker, so I can actually have clue what I’m meant to be doing for my dissertation this week. 

Moreover, this might just be my shopping addiction talking, but buying cute planner is actually the perfect start semester gift to yourself. 

2. Book in socialising like it’s a lecture

Okay, I know were two point in and I’ve not actually spoken about official uni work yet. However, I think in order to lock in, it’s actually pretty important you lock out to. At least a little bit anyway. 

As the new semester gets into swing it’s so so easy to get wrapped up in deadlines, readings and post-graduate job applications. If that is all you begin to fixate one, you’ll soon find yourself at the end of your final year and realised you haven’t actually socialised since September. A reality you’ll quickly regret.

The easiest way around this? Book your socialisation in like it’s a lecture. Dedicating a few hours here and there to coffee shop trips or pub nights means you are able to prioritise you degree-free time. 

3. Planning my deadlines in advanced

Now, onto something actually academic. Deadlines. 

While I know that word probably should have come with a trigger warning, the easiest way to actually stop it giving you heart palpitations is by looking when they are now. Preventing the traumatic 24 hours where you down 5 energy drinks and attempt to learn 3 months worth of content. 

This semester, I’m making myself aware of when exactly both my formatives and summatives are, to save myself both the stress and the £20 I’ll inevitably spend on energy drinks. 

4. Keeping active

As quickly as we started talking about academics, its turn our attention elsewhere again – can you tell I’m trying to pretend my dissertation doesn’t exist?

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This time, it’s keeping active. We’ve all heard the same story, keeping fit helps improve your focus and therefore should increase your grades. As someone who do just about anything to her hands on some extra marks, this is a story I’m putting all my hopes and prayers into. 

While you don’t necessary have to join the gym, going on a few short runs a week or even a bit of yoga is a fabulous way to put this promise to the test. 

5. Actually attending my office hours 

Seeing as we are meant to be talking about academics here, maybe third year is the time to start attending office hours.

I can’t lie, I actually did start doing this in my second year and it made the world of difference. 

Being able to speak through your ideas or misconceptions for a few minutes with your lecturers often does make even most difficult of concepts that little bit more understandable. 

Moreover, if you’re a humanities student, like me, you might be feeling like your contact hours have actually plunged to oblivion. Optimising office hours can actually make you feel like you’re doing your degree and not just wasting away in Morrel. 

6. Weekends away 

Breaking away from academics again, being at uni whether your in your first or final year can feel like a lot at times. Especially in final year with all the pressures of deadlines on top you. Hence my intention to actually spend a little time outside of York this year. 

Whether this be a day trip to Durham or a weekend back home to visit family, sometimes the best way to refocus is by taking some time out. A fact I’m trying not to forget as deadlines start to pop out off thin air. 

7. Changing my study spaces 

Finally, on a not to dissimilar note, this year I’m also paying big attention to where I’m studying and how much I’m studying there. While, often, I can be at my most productive in Morrel, the more time I seem to spend there the less productive I seem to be. 

Hence, I’m trying to find a balance of different study locations. Splitting my time between coffee shops, group study spots and silent solo study spots. If I’m going to spend the next nine months staring at my laptop, I’d like to at least try to make the locations exciting.