Uni Daze

Following on from my 'What's in my School Bag' post I've decided to compile a little list of things that I do to make the most of my days in Uni. This post is more relateable to other subjects than my bag post as it can be applied to any course. 

So let's get stuck in.

Rule 1.
 Pack a good bag.
 

You can refer back to my bag post to see what I take. You don't want to get to Uni and realise you've forgotten something important or something that's annoying to forget, like a pen or  memory stick or your laptop charger! I use the same bag Monday to Friday. I pack it Sunday night and everything stays in there until the weekend. I find it's much better to have stuff you might not use every single day, then to be caught short without it when you do need it.

Rule 2. 
 Take your own food.

Our Uni's canteen is ridiculously  over priced and stingy with portions. Therefore I take my own food to save me having to spend £20+ each week just on lunch and snacks. Not only this but if you have your own food you can eat where ever you are. There's nothing worse than setting up a work station in the library only to be starving hungry after half an hour and having to pack everything up to go get a snack/ lunch. I would never recommend leaving your bag unattended no matter how small or nice your Uni is. Better safe than sorry. 

Rule 3.

 Find somewhere you work well.

We have a studio room where we can work. However I don't work well in there because there's not always somewhere near a plug to work and I get very easily distracted by class mates. It can quickly turn in to a social club which is good fun, but not good for To Do lists. I work best in the library. Ours is pretty small but I can always find a desk with a plug for my laptop. I like the quiet and having access to all the books, printing facilities and photocopiers. A good pair of headphones, your phone on silent and your free to get lost in your work. Here's a secret. When I'm drawing/ sketching out ideas I'll often pursue our Libraries DVD section, put on a film and wile away the hours. 

Rule 4.

Set a manageable routine.

We're students. We're still at a time in our lives where we can and do, spontaneously go out mid week, or where attending a Private View at a gallery can turn into a night on the tiles. I say make the most of it. Enjoy it while you can. I am however one of those people that cannot stay in bed on a weekday without feeling hideously guilty. My weekday routine is set in my head that I will get to Uni at 11am at the latest. Work until 1 or 2, have lunch for an hour max. then work through until 5 earliest. Getting to Uni for 11 is manageable with a hangover but still leaves a lot of the day for working. It helps that our library is open until 7pm. If you're lucky enough to have a 24/7 library even better! Setting yourself the unrealistic expectation of getting to Uni for 9 every day is going to set you up for failure and a horrible feeling in your stomach. Being realistic leads to being productive I find.

Rule 5.

Make a list for the day.

At the end of each day I survey my list from day before to see what needs moving over to tomorrow or later in the week. I use 'Stickies' (virtual post it notes) on my desktop to write a list of what I want to get done each day. I have a  list of things for the day and a list of things which are less urgent. Lists help me relax about forgetting things and help me keep track of where I am. I strike through items that I've completed instead of deleting them because the sense of accomplishment motivates me to get the rest ticked off. It's the little things!

Rule 6.

Meet friends at lunch time.

I didn't have any photos of us eating but this is my lunch buddy.

HEY ES!

 Every day at around 12.30/1ish a text will either be sent from or received by my phone that says "Lunch soon?". Knowing that I'm going to be having a chin wag with my friends over our tupperware keeps me focused on my work and gives me something to look forward to. I very rarely work through lunch. You need to take a break. Being in an art school lunch time chats usually result in someone returning to their studio with a new perspective or idea which is fantastic and fun. Focusing your mind away from your work and changing topics can give your brain a rest and free you up from becoming too fixated on one thing. 

Rule 7.

Keep contact with tutors.

This is something I failed to do in first year but learnt from. By keeping contact with your tutors you are keeping a life line open. Whether you are struggling with work, are keen to find out about new opportunities or just need to borrow a scalpel, your tutors can help. If you make the effort to keep contact, the effort will be reciprocated when you need it the most. Just being at Uni doesn't obligate you to the same contact time as every other student. It should, but that's not how it works. It's not what you know, it's who you know and your tutors can be the first point of contact in the professional world. The more they know you and your work the better they can understand what it is you want to do and where you're going.   

So there we are. You might think I'm super organised and stuff but actually I'm not. And you don't need to be either for these to work. These are just some rules I consciously stick to, to ensure I don't just melt down and ruin my own life. 

Remember, it only takes 21 days for something to become a habit!
Come back next Monday for my truly exciting and much anticipated what's in my lunch box post !!! (So wild round here.)

M