As a final-year university student, you’re likely juggling a multitude of responsibilities. From coursework and dissertation deadlines to extracurricular activities and job applications, it can all become overwhelming. Throw in a dash of social life, and you have a recipe for stress. How do you keep all these balls in the air without dropping any?
In this blog post, we’ll explore effective strategies for achieving a balanced university experience, ensuring you make the most of your final year.
The Four Pillars: Coursework, Extracurriculars, Employability, Social Life
Coursework/Assignments
As a final-year student, completing your assignments/coursework/dissertation to a high standard is a top priority. If you earned a first in your second year, you may be determined to graduate with first-class honours. Likewise, if you’re aiming for a solid 2:1, you’ll want to ensure you allocate ample time to your academics to ensure this.
To manage your assignments effectively and manage your study time efficiently:
- Prioritise your tasks: Know your deadlines and allocate time to tasks based on their importance and due date.
- Revise consistently: Don’t leave everything for the last minute; a consistent study schedule pays off and prevents last-minute panic.
- Seek Help: If you’re struggling, don’t hesitate to consult your tutors or classmates. Schedule in some time to attend office hours or meet up with a study group in the library. Attend the academic support centre at your university for support with your assignments.
- Set yourself an artificial deadline: aim to complete your assignments a week before the deadline to leave time to review your work thoroughly and to get feedback before submitting it.
- Record lectures related to your assignment: your lecturer knows the grading criteria like the back of their hand. They know what they are expecting to see in a great piece of work. Work smart by ensuring that your coursework aligns with the coursework brief. Recording the lectures related to the assignment allows you to play back the vital information that you need.
- Stick to a schedule: use a physical or digital planner to plan out your time effectively. In addition to planning out your study time, mark dates in your calendar where you will have social events such as birthday parties or extracurricular events. Doing so will allow you to plan the rest of your life around your studies.
Extracurriculars
Years later, when you look back at your time at university, you’ll fondly remember the extracurricular activities that you embraced. Not only do these activities help you to develop as a person and broaden your horizons, but they also make great additions to your CV, showing future employers that you are an all-rounded individual. However, without careful planning, extracurricular activities could take up a significant amount of your time.
When picking extracurricular activities in your final year of university, consider:
Relevance to Career Goals
As mentioned before, extracurricular activities are a great addition to your CV, and make fantastic interview stories.
- Skill Building: Choose activities that can help you acquire or refine skills relevant to your desired career path. For example, joining the banking and finance society if you want to get a graduate job in investment banking is a great idea. Some extracurriculars, like learning a new language or digital software, can be additional selling points on your CV.
- Networking Opportunities: Activities that allow you to meet professionals or alumni in your field can be extremely beneficial for finding out about graduate job opportunities and securing interviews.
- Leadership Roles: Taking on a leadership position in a university society can make your CV stand out.
Time Commitment
- Don’t over-commit. Final year can be intense. Pick activities that might take up a few hours per week, leaving you plenty of time for your other commitments.
- Schedule Compatibility: Ensure that the activity fits well with your academic timetable and other obligations.
- Intensity: Consider the hours per week required and whether this is manageable in your final year.
Personal Enjoyment
- Passion: It’s easier to stay committed to an activity you enjoy.
- Stress Relief: Some activities can act as a healthy outlet for academic or job-search stress. Pick an activity that helps you to relax or take your mind off the academic pressures of the final year of university.
- Friendships: Look for activities that will allow you to meet new people or spend quality time with existing friends.
- Supplemental Learning: Choose activities that may enhance what you are studying, offering real-world applications for theoretical knowledge.
- Cognitive Break: On the flip side, something completely unrelated to your coursework might offer a necessary mental break.
Employability
Your final year is crucial for setting the stage for your career. To boost employability:
- Internships and Placements: Even short-term experiences can make a significant difference. If you didn’t do a summer internship during your first or second year, utilise your easter break by doing a short placement or spring week.
- Networking: Utilise university events, LinkedIn, and career services to build your professional network.
- Graduate CV: Begin putting your graduate CV together. Include your degree and predicted classification and any relevant modules. Highlight all of your key employability skills such as teamwork and communication. Make your graduate CV achievement driven This involves quantifying your success by including figures and percentages. E.g: Increased sales by 86%. This shows graduate recruiters not only what you can do, but gives them an indication of how well you can do it.
Social Life
Some of the friends you make at university will be friends for life! Make time to nurture and deepen these relationships whilst creating lifelong memories.
It’s important to maintain friendships and enjoy downtime during your final year of university. Here’s how:
- Schedule Social Time: Believe it or not, planning downtime can be as important as scheduling study sessions. Having time away from the computer screen and books is vital for reducing stress and aiding your studies. Put social events on your calendar to ensure you make time for them around your studies.
- Combine Social and Academic Life: Create or join study groups with friends who are as serious about academics as you. This way, you get to socialise while also being productive. Organise a get-together after major assignments or exams are over, allowing you to celebrate milestones with your peers.
- Coffee Breaks: Even a short coffee break between classes with a friend can be refreshing and a quick way to catch up.
- Balance your weekends: Try to allocate part of your weekend for social activities. Whether it’s a night out, a dinner, or a movie, it’s good to have something to look forward to.
Say No to Social Events When Necessary
Set Boundaries: It’s okay to decline invitations when you’re overwhelmed. True friends will understand.
Prioritise: Sometimes your academic or job-related responsibilities have to come first. Make this clear to your friends and plan to catch up when you can.
Mental Wellbeing
- Mindfulness and Meditation: These practices can help keep stress at bay.
- Regular Exercise: Physical activity is essential for both mental and physical wellbeing.
Conclusion
Balancing coursework, extracurriculars, employability, and social life in your final year of university is undoubtedly challenging. However, by employing effective time management techniques and maintaining a focus on your well-being, you can successfully navigate this pivotal period. Your final year is a marathon, not a sprint; pacing yourself is key to crossing the finish line with your sanity—and your future prospects—in good shape. Remember, if you need help securing your dream graduate job, send us a message via our contact form, and we will get back to you letting you know how we can help.
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