5 life hacks every student should know about

Starting tertiary education can be likened to a crash course in “adulting”. Not only are you meant to balance your studies, finances and social life amongst other things, you are also expected to secure your future.

This comes with certain challenges that take years to conquer. Here are some life hacks that can possibly help you on your student journey.

1. How to write long papers

If you have an eight-page essay due, you need to write roughly 16 paragraphs. If you write an introduction and conclusion then you have only 14 paragraphs to write. Write 14 ideas and support your thesis. Rearrange them to have a natural progression and you will have an eight-page essay in no time.

2. Fix your sleeping patterns early on

Being a tertiary student and sleeping don’t always go hand-in-hand, so your sleeping patterns will need some adjustments in order to survive university or college.

Power naps are your friend. Naps of between 10-20 minutes boost alertness and energy, 30-minute naps have been scientifically proven to leave you feeling groggy, 60-minute naps improve your fact, face and name recognition, while 90-minute naps are known to improve your emotional procedural memory and creativity. They are also the easiest to wake up from.

3. Get your finances in order 

Managing your finances well as a tertiary student will improve your financial acumen in future. The first step is getting a student bank account.

Always check for grants and bursaries that could also help you cut the cost of your education. If you’re in a dig or sharing a flat, draft a basic meal plan so that you can save on groceries.

4. Prepare for your exams

Studying 30 to 50 minutes at a time (with 10-minute breaks in between) is an effective way to retain information. When taking notes in class leave a few pages empty in the front of your notebook so that you can add a table of contents later on. This will make it easier to organise your topics.

Whenever you need past papers before exams just google “site: edu [subject] exam”.

5. Always update your CV

Unless you win the lottery, finding a job will always be a part of your adult life. When you’re looking for student work, always update your CV and re-upload it on the sites of places you are looking at. The refresh date will make it easier for HR to find your CV.

There are plenty of online proofreading, transcribing or translating jobs that are perfect for students.

Read the original article on Alberton Record

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