Hi, my name is Annabel. I am Somerset born and bred but have spent the last few years at Swansea University studying Medical Engineering.
I love doing all things outdoors; the muddier and rainier the better! In my spare time I like walking my dogs, playing saxophone and trying out new things.
Well Swans, it’s a pretty crazy time in the world right now and whether it’s your first year or your final, this is probably not the semester you had envisaged. But don’t fear! If motivation has plummeted, your Wi-Fi is struggling to cope and all you want to do is build a pillow fort and watch The Office, you are not alone. Here are some top tips for looking after yourself through this time and getting those assignments back on track…
1. Set up a good study space
A good study space is hard to find but if you can set up in a different room to the one you sleep in, it’s bonus points! Some of us work well with consistency and some of us need variety in our surroundings. I’m definitely the latter so I tend to move to different study spaces throughout the day; this usually involves chasing the sun around with my laptop and a cup of tea. If you are struggling to keep that phone out of your hand, I’d recommend an app called Hold. You can set the amount of time you want to study and cash in your points in exchange for discount codes and charity donations!
2. Have intentional breaks
Intentional breaks - not the ones where you look at your phone to check the time and suddenly, you’re 20 minutes into TikTok videos. What did you always tell yourself you would do if you had the time? Learn a new instrument? A language? Take up knitting? Learn how to do a backflip? Brush up your knowledge of garden snail species? There are so many resources out there and even if it’s just 5 minutes on Duolingo it can make a big difference to your productivity.
3. Stay in touch with friends
Ok, I know we’re probably all sick of Zoom by now but hang on in there! Whether it’s a pub quiz, a dance party or just a chat, it is so important to stay in touch with each other. This is my final semester at university, and whilst I would have loved to spend it in sunny Swansea with my friends, I think we’re setting ourselves up way better to stay in touch beyond graduation (whenever that happens) and into our post-uni lives.
4. Be kind to yourself!
The most important thing right now is that you look after yourself. It’s ok to find this time difficult, it’s new ground and we’ve all had a big shake up in our lives. Check in with your own mental health and talk to someone if you’re struggling. I know it seems like this is the biggest thing in the world right now, but we will get through it! So, go ahead and build that pillow fort, have that extra biscuit, read that book that has nothing to do with your course but is just for fun. Be kind to yourselves and look out for each other. We’ll see you back in Swansea soon!
