The second term of my Master’s Degree starts next week, and I have not prepared at all. I wouldn’t say I am a chronic procrastinator, but I do leave everything to the last minute.
The buildup of looming deadlines is something I need to work on, whether it be an article or university assignment. Even though I leave my work to the last minute, and it’s something I never seemed to want to change; I will complain about my bad timings.
Last term, I started my degree on top of working full-time and editing the Opinion corner of Empoword. It was a lot of work, mentally and physically. It would be university in the morning, work in the afternoons, and edit late at night.
I had no downtime and was constantly exhausted. I knew I was overwhelmed, but I didn’t know how to juggle my time to put myself first.
This year, I have embraced the ‘new year, new me’ cliche. I am sorting out my workload to ensure I don’t end up with burnout. This comes with sacrifices, which is only working weekends, but I now have days during the week with no commitments.
Will this mean I’ll start things early? Probably not. But I will have both time and breathing space to catch up on readings and other aspects of my degree.
I don’t think I will ever be one of those ultra-organised people you see on TikTok, with immaculate working spaces and colour-coordinated planners. Yes, I am envious, and I have tried to be that person, but it never sticks and I revert back to my organised, yet messy, ways.
One thing I have learned through trial and error is taking small pieces of those videos and implementing them into my day-to-day life. I could never keep a full bullet journal, trackers and all, but I enjoy the creative aspects that go into them. So I made my own diary – writing everything out and seeing my month evolve prevents me from feeling overwhelmed and I can focus on the week ahead.
I can’t work for long periods in my house as there are too many distractions. Making my way to my university’s library can feel like a trek, especially when living at home means a long journey.
I often have to reward myself with a muffin from Costa or lunch at my favourite restaurant, but it’s these little pleasures that make me get up and go and do work.
Only then do I feel I have been productive and done something with my day. These are just two examples, but by starting them this month I already feel so much better about the term ahead.
I think I will always leave assignments to the last minute. I know I am not the only person to do this. A lot of people I have talked to need that weighing pressure of a deadline. It’s a weird combination, but I find it’s a better way to work alongside my perfectionist tendencies. I have less time to nitpick over every little detail and convince myself that my work is terrible.
It’s not a perfect system. Hopefully one day I might change my habits and be that little more organised. But it’s a system that works for me.
Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash
Words by Sarah Storer
sarahstorer
Sarah has recently graduated from Newcastle University with an MA in International Multimedia Journalism. When she’s not editing the Opinions Section, you can find her at the cinema or on the beach with her dog.