After a summer of enjoying the sun, sleeping in longer than usual, and seeing friends, finding the motivation to get back into work mode can be difficult. If you don’t know where to start with resetting your routine after moving back to uni, you’re in the right place.
Budgeting and Money Management
Sorting Out Admin and Bills
Make sure your utility bills are set up as early as possible to avoid stress later down the line. This often involves taking meter readings to ensure you don’t pay for any water or energy from the previous occupiers. Once you’ve got little admin bits like this out of the way, you can focus on sorting your routine.
Resetting Your Student Budget
Look back at where your money went last semester by checking bank statements or categorising your spending in your digital banking app. Maybe you spent a lot on coffees, nights out, or on-the-go food. Learning where you can cut back can help you budget more effectively and save money.
Avoiding Early-Term Overspending
With new study materials to buy, friends to catch up with, and your first food shop of the term to think about, it’s easy to overspend without a clear plan. Sticking to your budget, delaying non-essential purchases, and avoiding impulse buying can all help prevent early-term overspending.
Settling Into Your Student House
Quick Checks When Moving Back In
Before getting comfortable, making quick checks around the home can prevent future stress. This can include:
- Testing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
- Checking the inventory and comparing it to the property’s condition.
- Looking for maintenance issues, such as leaks and damaged flooring
- Testing appliances to make sure they work properly, such as the fridge and oven
- Making sure that all keys work
If you find any issues, tell your landlord as soon as you can.
Unpacking and Organising Your Space
If you’ve moved into a new house, you’ll want to make your space feel like your own. Unpack as soon as you can instead of leaving everything in boxes, because a cluttered space can make you feel less motivated.
Coordinating With Housemates
Your housemates can form a big part of your routine. Putting a rota together of who will do what and when, such as taking the bins out and doing deep cleaning, can help you all stay organised. Communicating any house rules, such as quiet hours or cleaning dishes straight away, means everyone’s on the same page. Many students also work as a team to use less water and energy in order to reduce their utility bills, such as taking shorter showers and turning off the lights when leaving the room.
Getting Back Into a Routine
Sorting Out Your Sleep Schedule
If you’ve spent the summer sleeping in longer than usual, you aren’t alone. However, if you have early morning lectures, you’ll need to get back into the flow of things. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends, can help your body adapt to a new sleep routine. Creating a bedtime routine can be helpful too, such as taking a warm shower or reading a book.
Creating a Daily Structure
As well as sorting your sleep schedule, having structure throughout your day can help you keep up with your studies. Not every day will look the same, but consistent habits like reviewing your to-do list each morning and planning to study at times of the day when you feel most focused can help you stay motivated.
Switching Back Into Study Mode
Start by checking when your first few assignments are due and create a study schedule around this. It’s okay to start off slow and do simpler tasks like planning assignments and taking notes at first.
Staying Organised With The Student Energy Group
At The Student Energy Group, we understand that studies are a priority, and that the last thing you want to worry about is your finances. We’ll bundle your household bills, including energy, gas, water, internet and TV licence, into one easy-to-split monthly statement. You can put together your all-inclusive bills package for students with just a few simple clicks. We’ll even plant a tree if you sign up with us as a step towards a brighter future! Get a free quote from us today so you can focus on moving back to uni and avoid financial headaches.
