Physiotherapy students must use and re-use multiple physical or digital educational materials so staying organised is crucial to succeeding at University. This entails arranging all the resources and information relevant to your courses, such as lecture notes (PowerPoint slides and personal notes), dissection/practical activity materials, textbooks and handouts from your lecturers, articles and research, charts, pictures, and graphs. Additionally, it’s important to keep track of health forms required at the beginning of clinical placements, student loan documents, academic transcripts and continuing professional development certificates.
If you already have a system to keep your important non-academic documents organised that’s great! You may need to extend it to include all your Physiotherapy academic material to study effectively and complete administrative tasks in a timely manner without the added stress. In this post, we will highlight several useful strategies to keep you organised if you’re looking for tips!
Find the right study area
The first step involves setting aside a specific area for your study materials. It should be a quiet space dedicated solely to your work. A desk is ideal, along with a small file cabinet or file box for storing important papers. Although most documents can be stored electronically, there will be original copies, such as official transcripts, that you will need to keep. Therefore, having a designated filing area is crucial. Additionally, if you prefer to use textbooks, invest in a bookshelf, as you will accumulate numerous textbooks during your time at university and storing your textbooks safely in a common location will ensure you can access your textbooks quickly and protect them from wear and tear.
Technology is your friend
Cloud storage is an incredibly useful tool that allows individuals to store data remotely, making it accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. The advantages of cloud storage are numerous, with one of the most significant being that it can serve as a backup for your critical files and data.
If your computer crashes, a cloud storage account can preserve your files. For example, if you store your university notes on your laptop’s hard drive, and your laptop goes missing or damaged, you won’t be able to retrieve the information. However, if you save your files to the cloud, you can easily log in to your account and access your saved data. The cloud also allows you to access your files from any device and location. By downloading an app like Dropbox or Google Drive on your phone or tablet, you can conveniently view notes or prepare for exams with an organised folder for each module.
Another advantage of cloud storage is that it allows you to collaborate with others more efficiently. You can share files and folders with colleagues or classmates, making it easy to work on projects together. You can also give access to specific files to certain people while keeping other data private, making it an excellent option for teamwork.
There’s still a place for folders
Along with having an online folder for each module, it’s also beneficial to keep a dedicated physical folder for each module. Make sure to label the folder’s spine, so it’s easy to locate on your bookshelf. The folder should contain all the necessary materials for the course, such as the syllabus, lecture notes, or handouts.
Maintaining a folder for each module can be extremely useful, as you may need to refer back to the materials frequently, especially in your early years of practice once you graduate. Having a physical copy of your notes and other materials in a folder can help you quickly and easily find what you need without relying on technology, which can fail or be unavailable at times. Additionally, having a folder for each module allows you to keep all the materials organised in one place. You can easily add new materials as you receive them, and keep them in chronological order, making it easy to track your progress through the course.
Plan ahead
To ensure that you stay organised throughout your academic journey, it’s essential to manage your schedule efficiently. As soon as you obtain the schedule of lectures, practical sessions and clinical placements, you should create a comprehensive schedule around it. Begin by allocating at least one to two hours each day for study time, and schedule it like an appointment with yourself. Include everything you can on this schedule, such as workout sessions, grocery shopping, laundry, and cleaning. A scheduling application such as Google Calendar can be incredibly useful to easily plan ahead.
Once you receive your module handbooks, you can further refine your schedule. You will be able to identify when formative or summative assessments will take place during the semester and plan accordingly. For instance, you may choose to buy some extra groceries the week before the assessments to minimise your workload during the busiest times of the semester and maybe book a holiday immediately after assessments to relax and avoid burnout whilst maximising the free time you have post-assessment.
It’s crucial to understand that failing to plan can often lead to failure. Therefore, it’s essential to plan ahead, stay organised, and stick to your schedule as best as you can to maximise your academic performance and just as importantly minimise stress levels throughout your studies. By managing your time effectively, you can make the most out of your academic experience and also have a fulfilling social life whilst at university.