How to catch up if you’ve fallen behind this trimester

It’s safe to say that at this point in the trimester you’re likely to be feeling a little stressed. And, if you’re like most students you probably feel as though you have fallen behind in one or more subjects. Whether it be due to sickness, an overload of commitments or just too much Netflix, we have a plan that will help you get back on track. Just follow the four P’s and you will be feeling less stressed in no time.

Prioritise

First, you will need to start off by figuring out what assignments or exams are the most important. Write down a list of everything you need to do before the end of the trimester. Then after you have created your list, start to prioritise what is the most important and what you need to work on first. Whilst making your list consider when assessment items are due, how much they are weighted and what mark you want to achieve.

You also need to think about your other commitments and how they affect the time you have to work on your assignments. It might be that you need to pause your work, volunteer or social commitments for a couple of weeks until you get through the semester. If you are finding it tough to take time off work, head down to the Student Welfare office. They can help you out with interest-free loans and bursaries.

Plan

Now that you know your priorities, it is time to plan everything out. When I say plan everything out, I literally mean that it is time to plan out each day for the rest of your trimester. There are only a few weeks left, so you need to know what you must achieve each and every day. It certainly isn’t going to be easy – particularly if you haven’t been putting in 100% so far this trimester, but trust me the time will fly and it will be completely worth it.

If you haven’t already, it is also the perfect time to go along to your lecturer’s consultation times. These are the people who will be marking your work and they will be able to help you create your plan to ensure you catch up and make it through the trimester.

Purpose

When you’re stressed, it is easy to lose focus of what matters. You can become so caught up in the whirlwind of deadlines that you forget why you’re here. Once a day, take just 10 minutes of your time to practice mindfulness and to remember why you’re studying at university in the first place. Reminding yourself of your purpose helps you to stay motivated and productive. Just keep thinking about that end goal and you will fly through your workload.

If you need some help learning how to practice mindfulness, just head to the Counselling and Wellbeing website. They have a tonne of self-help ideas, app suggestions and even Griffith made listening exercises to help you refocus and re-energise your mind.

Persistence

The last and most important of the P’s is persistence. Sometimes things just don’t go to plan. In the last few weeks of the trimester, you need to be incredibly persistent if you have fallen behind in a subject. Once you have prioritised your study, developed a plan and found your purpose you need to just go for it. Stick to your plan, adapt your methods and keep working hard until you walk out of that last exam room.

Being a student can be tough. We all face different challenges and fall behind for different reasons. But over the next few weeks, you need to give it absolutely everything you have. Because one day, not too far from now, you will be standing on stage in front of hundreds of people to accept your degree. In that moment, you want to know that you persisted and that you gave it your all. This is your chance to create your future.

 

By Hayley Payne