Back to Uni: Productivity, Organisation & Reset Tricks

Now that the frenetic Christmas and new year period has been and gone, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief at being able to get back into the swing of a more typical routine.

And, of course, uni has started back up again so it’s all about regrouping, bringing some focus back into your life and really knuckling down to your studies (while still prioritising fun wherever you can, naturally).

Not sure where to begin with all this? Feeling a little lost after the Christmas break?

Never fear, the TOTUM team are here! Check out these little tips, tricks and strategies to flip the script, get organised and stay productive over the course of this uni year… plus, as ever, all the top student discounts we have on offer to help you get the job done.

Reset your mind!

You can’t expect to hit the books successfully and turn out all those top-grade papers if your study environment is a mess!

Take a look at your desk and see what the clutter situation is like. If it’s covered in stuff, no wonder you don’t want to sit down and get to work.

Take the time to get rid of anything that’s adding to your stress levels and aim to keep the work surface clean and clear, so you can get cracking on those essays when you need to.

And, of course, this decluttering isn’t just for the physical world. Don’t forget to clear out your digital life, as well, making space on your devices for all the new material that will be coming your way this semester.

If you need any stationery, paperwork organisers, folders or anything else to help you keep your desk clutter-free, check out our fab-dab deal with The Range, where you can get a cool ten per cent off all orders over £40!

Once you’ve made your working spaces inviting, you can turn your thoughts to your routine for uni, which can be difficult to slot back into after having a few weeks off - and particularly after Christmas when, no doubt, you’ve been busy celebrating the festive season with friends and family.

Lots of late nights mean that you’ll probably have accrued some kind of sleep debt and this can make it hard to get back into a good schedule with rest, but give yourself a couple of weeks prioritising a solid bedtime routine and you’ll soon be feeling refreshed and ready to show university lectures who’s boss.

There are lots of vitamins and supplements you can take that will help facilitate a good night’s sleep, so check out our student discount with Hux, giving you 15 per cent off the entire site. Prioritising wellness has never been this easy!

Get organised!

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when the uni work is coming at you from all sides - and if you’re not careful, it can all start to pile up. Before you know it, the pile has become insurmountable!

The key to success when your to-do list is massive is to be as organised as possible, with strategies like these keeping you on track:

Batch cooking

You’ve got to keep your strength up to drive scholastic success (as well as giving you all that much-needed party energy!), but it’s easy to fall back on snacks and convenience foods that aren’t all that healthy when you’re rushed off your feet.

Do a big batch cook of nutritious meals like stews, casseroles and curries that can easily be reheated during the week when you’ve not got as much time to cook.

And if you’re not completely confident in your culinary skills, you can make it all a whole lot easier with one of our food and drink student discounts.

We’ve got meal prep boxes readily available from the likes of Green Chef (50 per cent off your first box and 25 per cent off the next four), Hello Fresh (55 per cent off your first box) and Mindful Chef (25 per cent off your first four boxes). You’ll never go hungry again!

Create a plan

You can’t see what you have to do and when you have to do it by if everything is haphazard and all over the place.

Create a weekly timetable on your phone so it’s always close to hand, but also print out a physical copy and put it in full view over your work desk so you can see what’s what at a glance.

Also think about when you’re at your most alert and productive so you can tailor your study sessions to suit, whether you’re an early riser or prefer to stay up late, burning the midnight oil.

Set reminders

It’s easy to get waylaid with study and if you know you often lose track of time, use your digital tech to great effect and set yourself regular reminders to help you keep your eyes on the prize.

Knowing when your deadlines are for each stage of your uni work will prevent things from slipping through the cracks.

And don’t let poor connectivity get in the way! Drive your online learning onwards and upwards with our brand-new deal with O2, offering you 300GB for just £17!

Or what about treating yourself to a brand-new phone to help you get the job done? Check out this technology discount with iD Mobile, where you can get the iPhone 17 with unlimited data for £35.99 a month (and £29 upfront).

Boost your productivity!

Finding the activation energy to get the job done can be super tricky and you can’t just expect to always be productive no matter what. Some tasks you’ll find enjoyable, others you won’t - and procrastination will always be lurking around the corner, ready to strike!

But there are ways you can help drive productivity onwards, tricking yourself into uni work even when you don’t feel like it:

Follow the 5-minute rule

If you can’t get going with a task, just tell yourself that you’ll only do five minutes of work and then call it a day. More often than not, you’ll find that you get into the task at hand within those five minutes and, before you know it, you’ve smashed it!

Take regular breaks

It might sound strange but productivity requires lots of downtime if you want to maintain it. So that’s good news, right? Following scheduled break times is advisable so you know when to stop and when to start up again.

The Pomodoro technique, for example, is a good one to follow, where you work for 25 minutes and then take a five-minute break. After following this schedule for an hour, take a longer break of between 15 and 30 minutes.

Set achievable goals

Don’t drown in the overwhelm! Break all your tasks down into smaller chunks and make your goals more achievable, ticking them off one by one as you make your way through your to-do list.

And let us tell you, there is absolutely nothing more satisfying in this world than ticking something off a to-do list!