Beat your inner couch potato and get stuff done.

That sounds reasonable. But sometimes the road can be very long. How can you use your energy wisely?

You should always set realistic and appealing goals that can be achieved by a specific date. It’s important to think about the resources at your disposal. And your ability and willingness also play a huge role. Are you unwilling and therefore unable? Or are you unable and therefore unwilling? You can stop your workload from getting out of hand by continuously working on your tasks. And don’t forget to treat yourself. At the end of the day, do you want to get to the finish line at a sprint, a trot, or a nice and steady pace?

But what if you’re constantly fighting your inner couch potato?

There’s always a reason why things don’t get done. When I talk to students in my counselling sessions, I often find that they’re lacking the motivation needed for their work. Other students are overwhelmed by a deadline or panicking about a teacher. But sometimes the causes are completely different – exhaustion and depression can also sap your motivation. There are many different reasons. And your inner couch potato feeds off them. So it’s important to get to the bottom of your problem and find something that will help you get things moving again.

One of the differences between school and university is that university students are given a lot of freedom to organize their own learning. What opportunities and challenges does that bring?

There are two sides of the coin. For example, students can often decide when to register for each examination. This is much easier when you’re intrinsically motivated, i.e. when the motivation comes from within and reflects your personal wishes and life goals. That’s why it’s important to ask yourself the following questions: What fascinates you about your studies? And what do you want to achieve through your studies?

But those questions are sometimes difficult to answer…

That’s true. But if students are aware of what they have to gain from completing a module that they might not like, for example, i.e. getting one step closer to realizing their dream, then things become much easier. The lower your motivation to achieve a goal, the harder it is to get started. And it’s even harder when you want to achieve a goal that doesn’t mean that much to you without putting in much effort.

Let’s stick with the topic of ‘school vs. university’: What’s the biggest difference when it comes to preparing for written examinations?

When you take an examination at the end of a lecture period, you’re essentially asked about everything that has been covered during the semester. As school assessments are more regular, they cover smaller units. You can’t break down complex university topics in the same way, which means that it’s impossible to revise or catch up with them in just one day. That’s why it’s very important for students to regularly prepare for their courses and do the necessary follow-up work. If you’re finding a topic difficult, you have to allow yourself more time to revise it. The learning methods that you used at school will often prove ineffective at university – especially when you suddenly have to take three to four important examinations in close succession at the end of a lecture period.

And should you just start revising as early as possible or are there certain methods that can help you prepare for examinations?

Learning should be structured as a process with specific learning objectives. Just one example: There’s little point in learning too many things at the same time. It’s better to take everything step by step. You should schedule a set amount of time for a certain topic; when that time is up, you can move on to the next topic. When planning your revision, it’s important that you don’t forget breaks. And as many of us will remember from school: If you pay attention in class, prepare for your lessons and do the necessary follow-up work, you shouldn’t have a hard time in your examinations.

And what can students do if none of these methods work?

If this is the case, you might be struggling to relate to your task or you might not be in the right frame of mind to study at the moment. You should ask yourself the following questions: What techniques am I missing and where can I learn them? Why do I lack motivation? If you meet certain requirements, you could also ease the pressure by taking a leave of absence. In general, however, it’s important to find answers to life’s questions. Take one step at a time and keep your eyes on the road ahead! But for that you need to know where you want to go. This is where the Central Student Advisory Service can help.