Being cooped up in accommodation or housing for a year can do things to a student, one of them is picking up bad habits. These habits may be oversleeping, skipping meals or developing a resentment against failure. It is time to turn those bad habits into good ones!
Scared of failing – Failure in any department is scary! Many students fear disappointing their parents. Many do not like to get bad grades. What may help is viewing failure differently. Instead of picking up on all the things you did wrong and letting them drag you down, look at what you can learn from them. Did you get a bad grade on your last assignment? Do not think that you have completely failed at university, take a look at what you did and how you can take this into your next assignment. Another thing that people do not realise is failure can present them with so many opportunities. So you did not get that placement you wanted? Well now you have the opportunity to look for another one and the next one you find might be even better than the last.
Lack of patience – In other terms, we can also call this giving up easily. Everyone has their personal and valid reasons why they may stop. However, instead of convincing yourself that you cannot do any more than you already have, try some of these reasons I am about to suggest. Call someone, a family member or a friend who can help give you another perspective on your issue or may help contribute to your work. Try taking a breather when you feel like you are at a breaking point. By the time you have taken yourself out of a situation, you may feel like you can try again.
Unable to take constructive criticism – You are going to face constructive criticism your whole life. When you get a job you are going to get a lot as you are new. People will always make comments about you and your life. Sometimes people can view it as someone telling them off or purposely trying to offend them. Whenever you are on the receiving end of some constructive criticism, instead of reacting straight away, break down and evaluate what they have just told you. Most likely than not, you may realise that without stepping back you would have overreacted. Try getting into the routine of asking someone to explain their criticism further for you. The more you understand, the better you will be able to take constructive criticism.
Hooked to your phone – There are a plethora of things to do other than be on your phone:
- Quality time with your flatmates
- Reading
- Time outdoors
- Tidying
- Baking/cooking
- Doing your university work
- Exercise
Many health issues arise from being on your phone too much such as headaches, eye strain, sleep deprivation and migraines. Jokes get thrown around on the internet about scrolling through Tik Tok for three hours straight and other memes. While it may be funny, it is worrying how many people can relate to that. This does not mean that you should never look at your phone again after reading this. It is more the case of realising you have been on your phone for longer than you should be and being able to detach yourself from your mobile.
Skipping meals – It is not just breakfast that is the most important meal of the day, all of them are. If you do not have time to sit down and have breakfast, take something small on the go like a protein bar. If you do not eat it in the morning, keep it with you all day just in case you feel hungry. For other meals, you could try and create an eating schedule so you get used to eating at those times. When you have a schedule, you can plan meals. Then by planning meals, you can make them in advance and freeze them. This irradicates any effort into making a meal from scratch.
Unnecessarily spending money – This happens to everyone, you do not keep tabs on what you are spending and the next minute you are in your overdraft. One of my top tips when it comes to saving money is to have a savings account and move any money you do not want to spend into there. For example, you have food in the house but decide to order a take-away and that came to £13. Instead of ordering unnecessary food, move that £13 into your savings account. Then it is like you do not have the money to buy the takeaway. This can be applied to any impulse buy. It also gives you a look at what your account would be like without that money in it.
Sleeping in late – Now there are some very simple habit changes that can happen here, such as setting multiple alarms every morning or going to bed earlier. I learnt this trick from a taxi driver once when going to work, he told me to set an alarm on the loudest volume and then place it on the other side of the room. Then, when it does go off, you have to get out of bed to turn it off. Or, try getting things you will need in the morning ready the night before, then there is no reluctance to get out of bed and actually do something.