Settling in: Here are five ways you can get ahead on your course

Whether it’s your first term here or you’re returning for the second or third time, it’s that time of year again. Freshers’ Week is out, the academic comeback is in. And yet maybe you’re struggling to settle in after a summer without even looking at a research paper or the MyDurham app (RIP). Well, you’re in the right place. These are five ways to get ahead on your course and set yourself up for a great year in Durham.

Familiarise yourself with the library

During summative season it gets super busy and the worst feeling is hunting down a specific book you need when everyone at the whole university seems to have spawned in on Billy B Level 3. My best advice is to dedicate some time early on in Michaelmas to have a wander around, find the comfiest desk chairs, the best views, the least distracting sections, and working plug sockets. Although you can access a lot of course books online now, I still recommend spending time in the library as the Dewey Decimal system means when looking for a specific book you may find many others that end up forming the foundation of your research.

Get yourself on Notion

If you haven’t discovered the Notion app yet, you’re missing out. I personally use it to organise my reading for lectures and seminars/tutorials as well as essays with due dates, progress tracking, and tick-box to-do lists. It really is a must-have for any student embarking on a long-overdue lock in.

Book a meeting with your academic advisor

Most people, when asked, say they had one meeting with their academic advisor at the start of first year and never interacted with them again. But they’re there to support you! They tend to have department-specific advice and can be your first port of call for any questions, so make sure you reach out early on to establish a relationship with them. You can typically zoom call, email, or drop into an office hour. And trust me, when it reaches summative season and you suddenly can’t remember how to reference, you’ll be glad to have them on your team.

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Actually do your secondary reading

Try and organise your time each week between contact hours, socials, and hobbies. Whether it be with a Google Calendar or an aesthetic academic diary, plan your time and ensure you leave enough space to do your secondary reading before lectures and tutorials, so you actually know what’s going on in that one 9am.

Set yourself up early with a good routine

Studying for multiple hours a day may seem the most productive start to term, but burnout is real and it’s actually much more productive to make time for yourself every day. Spending time with friends, doing sports, hobbies, societies, or even bed rotting and watching Bake Off with a cuppa. Whatever it is, you deserve to rest.

With these tips you should be on track to excel in your course this year. Best of luck, remember to make time for yourself every day, and without further ado, the academic comeback starts now!

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