We all know that students work hard but play harder, running to lectures, racing against assessment deadlines and living that party life can become pretty hectic work. With all this going on, it’s too easy to skip the odd lecture and have a hangover day in bed whilst promising yourself to be more productive next week. The main question is however, how do we get motivated? Why can we not just buy it off Amazon, life would be far simpler!

Everyone wants that amazing body and that top job we all fantasize about but we also want to stay in bed and eat pizza, but how can we achieve both? The truth is you need to want it, anything is achievable if you believe it is, limit yourself to a messy night once a week and allocate your hangover days. Do your assessments as soon as you get them, pester your lecturers for advice, tips and proof reads, after all, that’s what their there for!

Healthy eating may seem a bit of a drag, but honestly, it’s not that bad! You’ll soon start feeling more energised and productive, although for students buying fresh foods can become rather expensive, there are plenty of cheaper places to buy, market stalls are usually rather cheap and decent, just a little trick to get you feeling more energized in no time. Everyone needs a treat, so go out for food, order a take-away or grab a tub of ice-cream once a week for a ‘cheat meal’ this will make you feel better as you’re not depriving yourself from your favourite meals and you’ll appreciate them more.

Planning assessments and organising your research is crucial element to keeping track of all your deadlines and having enough time to thoroughly explore each one. Knowing your reading in advance and organising when to do your work before its due date is so much easier, if you leave it till last-minute you’ll be panicking with a week to go and a million unfinished assignments. So, organise and start them in advance, do a little bit each night, then when the deadline approaches you’ll be ready to submit and won’t miss out on going out clubbing or socializing with your friends.

socializing with friends as we all know is one of the main factors of university life, meeting new people and not wanting to miss out is understandable to any student. In my experience these friends will be the heart and soul of everything you do, but how do you find time for them? This is one thing I struggled with in my first and second year. Just remember, you are all stuck in the same boat, you all have different priorities with deadlines and don’t be scared to tell them you’re having a study night, they’ll totally understand. If your friends are on your course, that’s even better, ask them to meet up once a week for a work night, then your socializing and studying, killing two birds with one stone, genius!

To end this article, balance is vital, it’s great to live independently rather than under Mom and Dad’s rules and explore a bit of life with your own eyes. Make mistakes, party until your feet drop off but remember your dreams and ambitions, and that my friends will give you the motivation and determination you need to have a great Uni life and a promising future.