As summer comes to an end, it’s time to start thinking about going back to university for that all-important degree. Here are our top tips for getting into the swing after the break.

Ease back into routine 

Going from three months on your own time to being back to classes can be a shock to the system. 

Use the few weeks before going back to implement productive habits to make the transition easier. 

We’re not saying you need to wake up every day at 6am, but you could try and wake up an hour earlier than usual to make those early mornings a little less painful.

Set some achievable goals 

Use this time to reflect on your previous professional achievements and what you want your next steps to be.

Think about how can you develop your skills.

If you really enjoyed the audio journalism module, why not start planning your own podcast series? 

Our School of Journalism trainees launched their own podcast in April – find out more here.

Find new places to study

Sometimes it is hard to motivate yourself to study for media law and public affairs exams. 

Finding a nice new café or coworking space to study in can work as a good motivation to get out and start on your work.

Update your portfolio 

You could spend some time perfecting your portfolio and filling it with all the journalism you’ve done over the summer.

You could do some freelance writing and get some bylines before the new year. 

If you’ve used The School of Journalism summer bursary for a project or work experience, this is when you can show it off. 

Every School of Journalism trainee is offered up to £1,000 for a paid placement or journalism project. Find out more here

Consume the news 

Although studies stop in summer, the news cycle doesn’t. 

Make sure you’re staying in the loop with the biggest stories of the day. 

You could set aside 15 minutes a day to check the front pages of the nationals. 

A big part of being a great journalist is by consuming journalism daily.

You can apply for our BA (Hons) Multimedia Journalism degree now – here’s a link to our UCAS page.

If you have any questions you can email us on [email protected] or call us on 0203 026 3781.

Here are the details you’ll need:

Course code: P500
Institution code: P63
Campus: London (L) 

If you want to find out more about our BA (Hons) Multimedia Journalism degree, click here

Photo by Unseen Studio on Unsplash.