My dear readers,

I hope you are all doing well, and have started settling down at Linköping University. I remember when I had arrived in August, it definitely took me a few weeks to settle in and get a feel for this beautiful city I call home now. Today, I’d like us to pat ourselves on the back for all the small things we achieve on a daily basis. After moving out, I have noticed certain habits/tasks that may seem very simple but actually aren’t at times, as we all have rough days. But, if there’s one thing you know about me my dear readers, it’s that I am a CERTIFIED HACKS SPECIALIST 😉 So let’s decode these daily challenges together!

DRINKING WATER: Sometimes, I genuinely forget to drink water. Fun fact, I have so many friends who drink everything existent on this planet but H2O. Drinking water is SUPER important for our physical and mental health, it keeps us hydrated, we feel more fresh and it keeps the skin radiant. All that being said, it is hard to remind yourself to drink 4.0 L of water everyday, this is the recommended intake. We are all so busy with our daily lives so something simple like drinking water does not seem very important. Below are some tips I think you should try if you are struggling to drink water:

  • Use a straw. I personally feel like I drink more water when there is a straw in my glass, so try that out.
  • Having a cute water bottle will motivate you to have it next to you all the time and drink from it.
  • If you want to be fancy, you can buy the marked hydro flasks that indicate how much water you should drink by a certain time of the day. They are super trendy right now, and if that is what keeps you hydrated, then so be it!

MEAL PREPPING: Us at university need mega brain power to get through our lectures, PBLs and seminars and study consistently. How do we fuel our brain? FOOD! It fuels our brain by giving us energy to study, thus allowing us to become masterminds of the future. However, cooking can be hard after a long day of studying and socialising. So, meal prepping is super helpful as you can make multiple portions at once and grab a box on your way to university. Below are some tips to try if you struggle with cooking:

  • Try listening to a podcast or play music while cooking, to stay entertained. You can even binge shows to keep you distracted, this helps you not feel tired and you’ll enjoy the activity a lot more.
  • Use your cooking time to catch up with friends or family. It gives a feeling of company and you’ll finish cooking much faster.
  • Try making overnight oats if you struggle with eating breakfast. Add oats, milk, honey and frozen fruit of your choice in a box and refrigerate it overnight. You can warm it up the next day or eat it cold, it is a super easy breakfast idea.
  • Use TikTok and Instagram reels to get cooking inspiration. Watching people make new recipes that are easy and affordable can help you add new skills to your culinary experience 😉

STUDYING EVERYDAY: University studies can be very challenging, as the content is harder, and the education system may differ a lot from your home country. It does take a while to adapt to the problem based learning (PBL) approach if that is not something you are familiar with. Moreover, on days where you end late, the motivation to come home and study or revise is low, I know that I feel that sometimes as well. Try these tips below to incorporate studying in your everyday routine. A little effort everyday goes a very long way and is more efficient than cramming last minute.

  • Attend lectures and try to take notes. Mostly, the exams are based on lecture content and slides given in the lecture. So attending lectures can make revision afterwards feel easy.
  • Stay back after university for 30 minutes with your friends and just talk about what you have studied. This way, it doesn’t feel like you are seriously studying but it also promotes active thinking of the concepts you have been introduced to. The Swedish education system takes a lot of pride in active learning and critical thinking, so having discussions with friends is very helpful.
  • Try setting a 60 – 90 minute timer everyday and commit yourself to that study time. It may not always work but if you try it everyday, you’ll build a habit and slowly, it will become a part of your everyday routine.

Remember to always be proud of yourself for the small things – doing laundry, cleaning your house, doing the dishes or finishing taking notes for a lecture. They’re also accomplishments and its hard to be consistent, so I hope you can take away some tips from this blog post. Till next time, my dear readers 😀

Your certified hacks specialist,

Shiv <3

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