Mastering uni: balancing my studies and personal life

Hi, I'm Maleehah.

I've recently finished my final year of LLB (Hons) Law. When I wrote this blog, I was deep into my final semester and in the middle of final assignment season.

With this experience in mind, I'm sharing my tips and advice on how I stay organised in uni whilst balancing extracurricular activities.

Calendars and reminder apps

My Outlook Calendar has been my biggest lifesaver for organisation throughout my entire undergraduate studies and placement year.

I use Outlook for:

• academic deadlines
• meetings
• Students' Union meetings and events
• time for wellbeing reminders
• Bradford 2025 commitments
• networking events
• work experience

Outlook's calendar and colour-coding tools allow me to separate my work life and personal life. Colour coding and time blocking have helped me to create a clear structure and understand my academic priorities, such as assignments and exams.

The Apple Reminders app is another great tool for creating priority to-do lists. Because it's on my homescreen, I can see my tasks without getting distracted.

I organise my reminders based on high, medium and low priorities, so the app always prompts me to get on with my tasks and stay productive.

Sticky notes and highlighters

Physical sticky notes have been a handy tool for tracking my deadlines. I keep them on my desk as constant visual reminders to focus on my priorities whenever I study.

These have been useful for studying and revising for my exams.

Highlighters have been useful in consolidating my degree knowledge and assessments. I'm a visual learner, so colour helps me better understand legislation, cases, books and journals.

To make studying simpler, I use colour to highlight key information and main points of my notes.

Boundaries

Saying no and affirming my boundaries has helped me maintain a healthier balance between work, study, and relationships.

For example, if I'm called in for work shifts that clash with university classes or deadlines, I'll firmly say no. I believe in temporary sacrifices, which means the hard work now pays off later.

After deadlines pass, I let myself enjoy other commitments. During the winter period, I declined many opportunities that would have taken away from my study time, and this helped me achieve good grades in my modules.

Whilst I do believe in sacrifices, I also believe in self-care and treating myself. I treat myself every week to food, desserts and sometimes retail therapy. But I make sure I earn those treats.

I also love going on solo getaways in nature and exploring museums. I'm a huge fan of art and history. Immersing myself in nature clears my mind, and I find peace in looking at mountains and sunsets.

Final thoughts

Organisation isn’t just about keeping track of deadlines. It’s about creating balance. Using the right tools, setting boundaries, and rewarding yourself can make your university journey more manageable and fulfilling.

Focus mode: on.

Staying organised is a journey, not a destination.

Find out how our academic support network can support you from day one.