8 Stress-Busting Student Hacks You Need to Know

Students have always found ways to beat the system and come out with flying colours, even when the odds don’t look great on it (trust us, we’ve been there).

It’s not rocket science; they did it by optimising their time, dedicating productive hours (power hours, anyone?), and learning new things that will help them excel in the future.

If you are reading this article as a student, we assume you are willing to learn new things and embrace challenges. If you take a little extra time and look at developing your soft skills as much as the hard ones that your university or college will teach you, it’ll pay in big time in the long run.

Below is a list of 8 student hacks that, if you commit to working on them, will help you ace your studies and keep stress at bay as a student.

Organising your time might sound like the most basic thing to do, and you might be thinking, “Why would I need to put that in a list of student hacks?”.

But you’d be surprised how many just wing it daily (to be fair, so did we all at some point). If you learn to organise and prioritise, you’ll jump ahead quickly.

The fact is, it’s one of the most important things you can do to ensure you’re on top of your game in education, work, or even general life.

When we’re in a rush, we often make bad decisions about how to use our time. How often have you left an assignment to the last minute because you decided to go out with friends instead that week? Then you’ve had to pull an all-nighter in the library and submit a ‘that’ll do’ copy?

This can lead to stress, then a vicious cycle of what starts from there.

A calendar is one of the best tools for organising your time; these days, your phone calendar is probably checked more than a physical one. You’re picking it up every 10 minutes on a slow day, so keep that calendar front and centre, with notifications on.

It might seem excessive, but if you have a lot of tasks, it’s a good idea to write them down. If you write them down, you’ll be more likely to actually do them and have a record of what you’ve been doing.

That will make it easier to focus on what’s most important (and half the time, that’s not the pub).

While you should have a dedicated schedule that you’re comfortable with, it’s also important to try new ways of studying.

There’s a reason that some of the most successful people in the world have varied study schedules.

You’ll get bored and lose interest if you always do the same thing. Eventually, you’ll let that bad habit seep into your personal life and hurt your learning.

When studying, try to challenge yourself to do something new. This can help you learn more efficiently and retain information better as a student.

One of the best ways to challenge yourself is to try a different study method every couple of weeks. Whether high intensity, power hours or even learning to relax more when taking information in, try and switch it up.

This helps you get out of the habit of just doing the bare minimum and allows you to learn new strategies that can benefit you later in life.

Study smarter, not harder.

We know there’s nothing worse than those dark, cold nights (not something you have to worry about if you go to summer camp in America, though). But, although it’s hard, and you might feel like a zombie, get up and get the day started right.

As a student, it’s easy to let your schedule get out of control. This results in you constantly having to rush to get everything done. It’s easy to slip into this habit, but it’s not a sustainable way to live. If you want to be successful in your studies and be able to relax at night, you need to ensure you have time to complete your tasks during the daytime.

Waking up early may sound impossible, but it’s not.

You can do a few things to make it easier, such as getting rid of distractions (like your phone) before bed or drinking a cup of lavender tea (yes, it helps).

One of our favourites is to put your alarm on the other side of the room. There’s nothing worse than an alarm noise at 6am, so you’ll have to go and stop it. Plus, once you’re up, you’re up.

Finally, make your bed. For those who enjoy a motivational video or two, Admiral McRaven of the US Marines says why it’s so important you make your bed.

There are many potential skills that can be useful for various professions, depending on what you want to do in the future or a passion you have.

For example, you can list the most valuable languages, digital marketing qualifications or research the relevant top skills for your chosen line of work.

You can also make a list of skills that will help you to develop or be creative. It can be anything from learning how to play the guitar (where you could end up teaching music at summer camp), improving your public speaking skills, or how to become more organised.

Many students forget the importance of having skills that aren’t directly related to their degree. Studies show the importance of creativity and the benefits it can bring in your wider life.

Often, these skills are the ones that will help you get a job after you graduate, and in ways you wouldn’t expect.

Yes, that means trading in your trusty meal deal and cooking yourself.

If you have the time (and everyone can make time to cook) and are looking for ways to become a more well-rounded person, consider learning how to cook.

It’s a great way to save money while gaining valuable life skills.

Cooking is an excellent skill and can come in handy when you move out on your own. It also lets you take control of a big part of your health, as your diet significantly impacts your wider life.

Learning how to cook doesn’t have to be difficult, either. There are plenty of online cooking tutorials, or cooking shows that will help you get started. You won’t become Gordon Ramsay in one meal, nor should you.

Take your time and practice, and like with most skills, your cumulative cooking will make you a pretty handy chef.

As people work out and eat healthy to protect their health, it’s equally (if not more) important to give your mental health a similar emphasis.

Throughout your life, you’ll probably experience a wide range of emotions. Sometimes, you’ll feel extremely happy or excited, while other times, you’ll feel sad or upset.

This. Is. Normal.

The key is to make sure you’re able to recognise these emotions and deal with them in a healthy way. Knowing what to do when you feel stressed or upset is important.

This can vary from person to person, but the important thing is to take care of your mental health by finding a way to manage your feelings. You can do this by writing down your feelings, going for a walk, listening to music, or spending time with friends and family.

There are tons of creative ways to take care of your mental health. The key is to find what works best for you and then actively work on it.

This isn’t a student hack but an essential part of life we should all dedicate more time.

Today’s world is full of distractions.

Smartphones, social media, TV and the internet compete for your attention. If you want to remain focused and achieve your goals as a student, it’s important to limit your screen time.

For many students, this might sound impossible. Yes, you need your laptop to work on assignments. However, you do not need 5 hours on Tik Tok watching fail videos.

Now, we’re not saying suck all the enjoyment out of your day and be bored. There are plenty of ways to limit your screen time without feeling completely trapped. You can set limits on how much time you spend on your phone daily, use apps to help you focus, or even change your Wi-Fi settings so that you can’t access specific sites at home.

You’ll buy back some valuable time which you can then invest elsewhere.

If you’re living on your own at college or university, you must learn how to budget from the beginning.

If you want to be successful in your studies (or in life, for that matter), you need to ensure you’re not spending too much of your money on unnecessary things.

As a student, you’ll get used to having less money. But there’s a difference between having less and being skint. Budgeting well may mean you’re not getting new clothes every two weeks as you have to prioritise elsewhere. But it also means you don’t have stress or money anxiety because you’ve got loads of bills and no idea how to pay them.

To do this, you can list all your monthly expenses and try to find ways to lower them. You can also make a savings plan so that you have money set aside in case of emergencies (also great for when you’re travelling after summer camp and need money to fly back for uni ).

You’ve got enough on your plate as a student, don’t spill that plate with unnecessary money anxieties.

Student life is full of challenges, and it’s not easy to balance your studies with other aspects of your life.

Fortunately, there are plenty of student hacks and tips out there that you can use to make things a little bit easier.

What’s important is to not get stuck in a rut. If you feel like you’re not making any progress, or if you feel like you don’t have enough time, you need to take action. Switch it up and take responsibility.

You can’t expect different results by doing the same things. So, if you’re ready to take action, experiment, dedicate yourself, and commit to these student hacks, it could be the first step in a promising journey.