Self-organization part II

Checklist Self-Organization: Part 2

In the last blog we were talking about some topics to make your start at our university and in a country different from your home country a little easier. In the second part of the blog we want to share two other very important points to make your experience of doing your master's in Germany incredible.

  1. Focus vs. Distraction

During the bachelor’s degree, one should have learned how to focus on an important task, if not before. Either way it is worth to keep working on your ability to concentrate. Regular training helps our brain to get used to longer phases of focused work. You could start with shorter periods of time and try to not let anything distract you for ten minutes, for example. Once you get into working longer and more intensely, regular breaks help you maintain your ability to concentrate. Those breaks provide relaxation, fresh air, a bit of distraction and regeneration for our brain in order to get back refreshed later again. Furthermore, it is important to check yourself and your environment for factors that might distract you. Once you have identified these factors in your student life, you should try to find appropriate ways to minimize or even eliminate them. This can be done immediately or step by step. A well-balanced nutrition and enough sleep or resting time also contribute to an improved ability to focus. In general, you should look for nice balance between hard work, regeneration and fun in your free time.

  1. From Thinking to Doing

Last but not least, we would like to provide a tip that is probably easier said but yet one of the most important ones. In the end of the day is all about that – doing. All the great strategies, plans and ideas are worth nothing if you don’t manage to put them into practice and follow through with them. The transition from theory to reality or from thinking to doing can be trained. It would be best if you start with small, every-day situations, which do not have any serious consequences. Here you can practice in a relaxed manner and develop a just-do-it-mentality without being held back by initial difficulties or blockages. Once you got started, any doubts or worries usually fade away during the first phase. So there you go: “Ran an den Speck!” (go for the bacon), as we say here in Germany.