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As school and uni have started or are about to start for us all, I thought it would be fun to hop onto the “that girl” trend. But, I will be changing it up a bit, so today we are going to be getting into how to be “that student”…

Becoming “that girl” is a trend that went viral on social media over the past few months. It is an idea where girls (and boys) are living the aesthetic life and have everything in their life together. While having your life together all the time is a little unrealistic, I thought it would be fun to remix the trend slightly.

The aim of the trend is for you to become the most ideal version of yourself. Who do you want to be? What habits does the future you have? These are the questions you are going to have answers to by the end of this post.

I get into setting routines, figuring out your organisation systems as well as keeping up with self-care.

Remember that this is just a guide, to give you a starting point of tips and habits that you can start implementing so you can reach your full potential as a student!

10 STEPS TO FOLLOW TO BE “THAT” STUDENT:

1. REFLECT ON THE PREVIOUS SEMESTER

Before I start anything new, I always think it is so important to reflect. Reflection allows you to get a deeper insight and review on what went well and what didn’t go so well. Without reflection you are less likely to know where to improve. I highly suggest that you try it out and see how it makes you feel, it’s a great way to start afresh and level up.

During this reflection period write down:

1. Did anything go wrong? If so, what?
2. What went well last semester?
3. Did I prioritise my mental health and self-care?
4. What changes can I make to make myself happier, this semester?
5. What are my goals for this semester?

2. SET UP MORNING & NIGHT ROUTINES YOU CAN STICK TO

University can get a little much sometimes, so implementing a little structure into your mornings and evenings will help you feel a little more in control.

I don’t know about you, but my day feels SO MUCH better when I start my day with a little me time. I try to add the majority of my self-care tasks in the morning: such as journaling, reading, stretching and working out (sometimes); that way, my days are so much more productive. I wouldn’t say I am a morning person, but after a couple of weeks of waking up early and going to bed on time, I was hooked.

I usually stick to a set morning and night routine during the weekdays and take it a little easy on the weekend. It’s up to you, see what you prefer and go from there.

RELATED POST: HOW TO BUILD THE PERFECT MORNING ROUTINE TO SUIT YOUR LIFESTYLE

3. IMPLEMENT “BRAIN-DUMPING” INTO YOUR ROUTINE

Brain-dumping is a self-care task where you blurt out everything that has been cluttering your mind down on paper. If you are feeling overwhelmed and a little anxious, I highly suggest implementing brain-dumping.

Why is Brain-dumping important?

1. Helps you organise your thoughts
2. Clears your head
3. Sets your priorities

One of the reasons why I love brain-dumping is that there is no set way to do it. All you have to do is write… how easy is that?!

RELATED POST: 25 DAYS OF SELF-CARE

4. SET REALISTIC SEMESTER GOALS

How are you going to know if your semester was successful without setting some goals? It is such an effective way to keep accountable.

At the start of each semester, I usually set 3 goals that I can reflect on monthly as well as when I am lacking motivation to study or can’t seem to stop watching YouTube…

Here are some examples of goals you can set:

• Get a 2:1 at the end of the year
• Finish all of my assignments … days before it is due
• Attend all of my lectures/seminars/tutorials
• Make a new friend in each class
• Join new societies

Write a few down in a notebook or on your phone and see how many goals you have accomplished in December????

5. GET A LAPTOP STAND

My laptop stand changed my life!

If you are going to be on your laptop for long periods of time, I highly suggest you get a laptop stand. They have saved me from neck and backaches because the elevation keeps my posture in check.

This is the laptop stand that I use…

RELATED POST: 40+ DORM ROOM ESSENTIALS

6. SET UP AN ORGANISATION SYSTEM YOU CAN STICK TO

This is hands down one of my favourite hobbies! I feel like I am constantly changing how I organise, depending on my workload and how stressed out I am ????.

What is an organisation system?

To put it very simple, an organisation system is a foundation of how you organise everything.

When you are setting up your organisation system, write down how you prefer organising. Do you prefer writing everything down on paper? Do you like using your laptop, phone and iPad? Are you into organising on paper and digitally?

Once you have the answers to the above questions, you can start figuring out exactly how you want to organise.

Simi’s uni organisation system:

I use a hybrid of digital and traditional planning.

• Google Calendar for my timetable and test/deadline reminders
• Notion for note taking and keeping track of my to-do lists
• Notebook for my weekly and daily to do lists

I will definitely do a designated post soon!

7. USE GOOGLE CALENDAR

Google Calendar honestly saves me during the semester, because it allows me to keep on track of my classes and my deadlines! At the beginning of your semester, add all of your classes and deadlines to your calendar. If you often procrastinate, make all of your project deadlines a couple of days before so you can get all of your work done on time.

RELATED POST: 13 WAYS TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE PREPARED FOR EVERY SEMESTER

I have a series dedicated to Google Calendar which you all have been loving, pick the post which stands out to you the most and see how you go…

8. SIGN UP TO LINKEDIN

LinkedIn is really where it is at if you want to network and grow your business circle. It is also a great place for you to reach out to professionals in companies you would love to work for and ask for advice and tips. 9 times out of 10, they will be more than happy to help you out.

9. TRY TO MOVE YOUR BODY EVERYDAY

It is so easy to get caught up in your studies and forget to take care of yourself. Try to time block some time where you are away from your books to get up and active!

Here are some ideas to move your body:

• Stretch
• Go for a walk
• Yoga
• Workout

10. SIGN UP TO GRADUATE SCHEMES

One piece of advice I wish I was given when I first started university, was to join graduate schemes as soon as possible. Graduate schemes are essentially a stepping stone to help you get internships, work experience and graduate jobs. Finding a job is a very draining and overwhelming time so signing up for graduate programmes and getting involved in events and conferences they offer, will help you build up your CV and network with different people.

I highly recommend them!

If you are in the UK, here are some graduate schemes available:

• SEO London
• RARE Foundation
• Forage
• Bright Network

This post is all about how to be “that” student!

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