Question of the Week Answers

How do you manage your time effectively to

avoid last-minute cramming and reduce stress?

• Get yourself a planner or use your phone calendar– Honestly, just seeing your deadlines laid out makes it way easier to plan ahead. Plus, ticking things off feels very satisfying.

• Stick to a loose weekly routine– Doesn’t have to be overly strict, but having set times for lectures, study, and relaxing helps keep things balanced.

• Use the library like it’s your second home– It’s quiet, there’s fewer distractions, and you’ll probably get more done in two hours there than five hours in your room.

• Don’t be afraid to say no to plans– Sometimes you’ve just got to skip the fun things if you’ve got a deadline looming. Your future self will thank you.

• Start early-ish, even if it’s just a little– Even doing 20 minutes of reading a day in the lead-up to exams makes a massive difference. Beats pulling an all-nighter.

What role does physical exercise play in your routine to manage stress?

• When I’m studying in the Library, I take short breaks to stretch or walk around the Piazza.

• After long hours in the physics labs, I go to the Sports Hub. Lifting some weights helps me decompress and still feel productive.

• I do yoga classes at the Sports Hub. It’s a great way to manage stress and improve my posture after hours of sitting in lectures.

• I cycle to campus. It’s a great way to stay active and gives me a mental boost before lectures.

• I joined the climbing club. It’s physically challenging and mentally engaging—perfect for taking my mind off reports.
• I try to get out and walk around Lakeside and the rest of the campus to see the scenery.

What resources (books, websites, study groups, etc.) have you found the most useful during your studies?

• Student-made typed notes shared by the Physics Society website.
• Subject past papers from the Physics department.
• Problem review sessions run by PhysSoc during Term 1.
• Books on different topics from Physics to help you read more widely - ask the subject librarian for help
• Wolfram Alpha / Mathematica - really helpful for viewing complex functions and other mathematical physics concepts.

How do you remain motivated while studying difficult or complex topics?

• By changing what I'm studying every day to keep topics new and interesting.
• Be disciplined - use a pomodoro technique to keep working properly. Work with people, discuss things with those people - don’t just blankly stare at notes. And most importantly do past papers, they’re an invaluable resource.
• Make sure to maintain a work life balance, and don't be demotivated if you struggle to grasp a difficult concept first time around- it often takes a few different practice questions and contexts to understand.
• Have a consistent schedule (more important than working long hours). Start revising early. Do past papers.
• Break things down into smaller chunks and study them in order.
• Test yourself with flashcards - it's a great confidence boost when you get it right.
• Focus on the basics of the topic to get the foundations in place.
• Don't be afraid to ask if you don't understand.

How do you stay focused and manage anxiety during the exam period?

• Break it down: Break down your study material into smaller chunks. It's way less overwhelming than trying to digest everything at once.
• Stay organised: Keep a planner or use an app to track your study schedule. Knowing what you need to do each day can reduce stress.
• Take breaks: Remember to take short breaks. A quick walk or a snack can refresh your mind and prevent burnout.
• Sleep well: Pulling all-nighters might seem like a good idea, but a good night's sleep is crucial for retaining information and staying calm.
• Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water. It helps keep your brain functioning at its best.
• Exercise: A short workout can boost mood and energy levels and is a great way to clear your head.
• Connect with friends: Sometimes, a quick chat with friends can be a great stress reliever. Just make sure it doesn't turn into a long distraction!
• Practice mindfulness: Try some deep breathing exercises or meditation. It can help you stay calm and focused.
• Eat healthily: Avoid junk food and opt for nutritious meals. Your brain will thank you.
• Stay positive: Keep a positive mindset. Remind yourself that you've got this and that you're well-prepared.

What are your favourite resources and tips for exam revision?

• Review and attempt Physics Past Papers and then study solutions (strongly recommended) -Past Exam Papers
• Start early and don't leave it to the last minute.
• Write out standard equations and revision notes by hand. Try flashcards to test yourself.
• Reward yourself for completing a successful revision session.
• Allow for some downtime; you're not a machine.
• If you don't understand something, that's okay. Post your query on your group forum, and your module leader can help you.
• Be honest and realistic about what kind of environment suits you best. If you prefer solitude to a group or quiet to music, that's okay.
• Try to find periods when your mind is the most responsive to studying, but don't take it to extremes.
• Don't cram the night before or outside the exam room.
• Eat healthily and avoid drinking too much tea, coffee, and energy drinks.
• If you have any alternate arrangements in place, make sure you understand your allowances and come prepared, e.g. don't forget your drinks, medication, and snacks if permitted.
• Browse through the Library online courses for valuable tips - Online courses - University of Warwick Library
• Take a look at the Physics Subject Library Pages - Home - Physics - LibGuides at University of Warwick
• Warwick PhysSoc Revision Guides - Revision Guides | Warwick PhysSoc

• General University Revision Guide - How to revise for exams: Top tips

• Try the Pomodoro Technique to break up and organise your time - The Pomodoro Study Method: A Complete Guide - E-Student

What is your top tip for staying organised and managing deadlines?

• Break tasks down into smaller pieces. The Pomodoro Study MethodLink opens in a new window can help you manage your time.
• Chunk your time and interleave topics/tasks - watch this short videoLink opens in a new window to find out more.
• Use a calendar and set staged reminders for all assignment deadlines for each module.
• Use Parkinson’s Law, which states that tasks expand to fill the time available. By setting a strict deadline in advance you can reduce this expansion and focus on what is most important. You can then review and allocate more time to go back and improve if you decide it is needed.

• Start as soon you can - try not to procrastinate!

• Time Managements AppsLink opens in a new window can be helpful - some even have rewards or game elements to keep it fun!
• Try to get enough sleep and make time to relax so when you need to work you have more energy.
• Allocate more time than you think to new tasks - things often take longer than you expect.
• Start with the goal of 'done' - that's your initial deadline, then go back and improve if you have time by your final deadline. This helps manage perfectionism.
• Share your plans with a friend/someone on your course and keep each other accountable/on track. Arrange study hangouts where you share what you're going to do and then review together at the end.

What are you grateful for?

• My friends for help and emotional support.

• Family! Friends! Everyone who supports my studies.

• The inspirational Physics Senior Leadership team.
• Chocolate

• Our beautiful campus and facilities: the Arts centre in particular. Every day there is something you can engage with. This week I've been to a talk organised by Sustainability at lunchtime and to see a film after work. There are always lots of things happening and I recommend lookinghereLink opens in a new windoweach week to see what's on.

• Weekends!
• Sunsets
• Supportive work colleagues
• Music

• I am grateful for the support I receive from my family, friends and work colleagues. I appreciate the little things in my life and for how far I have come in learning to trust myself and embrace challenges

• Grace! Knowing that I don't have to be perfect

• People who show kindness

• My family

• Having a supportive network

Find out more by watching a video onThe Science of GratitudeLink opens in a new window, read aboutThe Neuroscience of Gratitude and Effects on the BrainLink opens in a new windowand whyGratitude is the Antidote to Toxic PositivityLink opens in a new window. Take a look at somePopular Gratitude ExercisesLink opens in a new windowor try the25 day Gratitude ChallengeLink opens in a new window

What part-time work fits in well with a Physics degree?

• Being a Physics Student Ambassador is a brilliant opportunity to earn a bit of money but also gain some great skills. I have enjoyed meeting new prospective students on Offer Holder Days and Open Days and telling them what it's like to study Physics at Warwick

Look out for an email at the end of the summer with information about how to become a Physics Student Ambassador

• Part-time work can be hard to fit around studying so I try to pick up temporary jobs in the holidays instead. Lots of shops and restaurants looks for holiday staff.
• If you look at the jobs/careers pages for local retailers, they often have jobs that are just a few hours or on a Saturday to fit around studying. I got a job which was a few hours in a shop at a nearby retail park and then in holidays or when I had fewer deadlines I could pick up extra shifts.
• UnitempsLink opens in a new window is great place to find temporary work on campus or nearby. You can search by location and things are added quite regularly. You can get work in the library or other places on campus.
• Working in the Student's Union has worked well for me. You can look for SU jobs hereLink opens in a new window.
• As a Postgraduate student, I have worked as an Invigilator for exams which was a great opportunity to work whilst also supporting the department.

Find out more about Postgraduate Paid Work within the DepartmentLink opens in a new window

• Over the summer I did URSS - it's a fantastic opportunity to see what it's like to work in research. It's different to doing a project or anything else you do in your Undergraduate degree and helped me develop lots of different skills as well as the research I was doing.

Find our more about URSSLink opens in a new window and check out the Events and OpportunitiesLink opens in a new window page for Internships and other opportunities

• Working as a Warwick Student Ambassador during Welcome week and doing tours on Open Days works well for me as it is manageable around studying.

What’s the best thing you’ve read recently?

• "In too Deep" (Jack Reacher) by Lee Child (a former Cov lad)

• "The Beano" annual
• "The Perfectionism Book" by Will van de Hart and Rob Waller. It's a fresh perspective and helpful guide on being able to live and achieve without the impossible burden of perfectionism.
• "Nineteen Eighty-Four" by George Orwell

• "How Minds Change" by David McRaney

• "Symphony in C: Carbon and the Evolution of (Almost) Everything" by Robert Hazen
• My current read is "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, which is a great read for the busier parts of term since it's a collection of short, easily digestible stories. I've very much wanted to keep up my reading habits in university, but this has been quite difficult to do while balancing coursework and socialisation, and this is definitely a light read that helps with that.
• The best book I've read recently is "Babel" by R.F Kuang, a fantasy novel centred around a power system dependent on the slight shift in the meanings of words as they're translated between languages. I found the premise of this incredibly interesting, especially for anyone who's frequently tried to capture a concept that exists in a mother tongue, but doesn't exist in English.

• I recently read two stories by Claire Keegan - "Small things like these" and "So late in the day". Both were quick to read but very thought-provoking and stayed with me long after I had finished reading them. Non-fiction: I am dipping in and out of "Invisible Women (Exposing data bias in a world designed for men)" by Caroline Criado Perez which is interesting but also infuriating!
• "The Dry" by Jane Harper. Australian murder mystery, very addictive
• I've just read "Orbital" by Samantha Harvey, which won the Booker Prize in 2024. It's a novella really - you can read it in one sitting. It takes place on just one day, which also happens to be made up of sixteen orbits of Earth on the International Space Station from the perspectives of six astronauts and cosmonauts. It's one of those books where mostly it's just things thought and things observed and it's structured into sections using the sixteen orbits rather than chapters. It feels a bit like travel writing as they spend a lot of time gazing at Earth working out what lies below. It's beautifully written and very thought provoking.

If you'd like to relax with a book, you can borrow or exchange books from the Book exchange shelf in the UG Student work room (P5.20).There are also some University staff recommendations of "Books for wellbeing"hereLink opens in a new window.

What's the best piece of advice you've been given since coming to Warwick?

• Try to get a balance of fun, work and rest - only you know what that looks like for you.
• Hand something in. Even if it's not your best work, get whatever you have managed to do in by the deadline. Especially if it's a lab report. You have to write 3 in the first year and 2 in the second year. You have to pass the module to go through to the next year and you can't do a resit for it.
• Don't be afraid to tell someone if you're struggling. You can talk to your personal tutor. It is what they are - in part - there for. Or you can ask the student office or contact wellbeing. There's lots of help available when you need it.
• Research groups all work a bit differently, but overall, the best PGRs are the ones who read everything they are given, are proactive if they don't understand something and ask questions. Being self-sufficient is a valuable life skill.
• University gives you a lot of freedom which can be a good thing but also challenging that no one is checking you've done things so you need to take responsibility for yourself. Try and find ways to get organised early on and have things around you that motivate you so you do as well as you can.
• If you miss something, keep up before you catch up. Keep on going with the lectures that you have next and then catch up when you get your breath. Otherwise what you have to catch up on will just grow and grow.
• Ask for help as soon as you think you might need it. Don't let things build up. University is a lot more relaxed than school in many ways, but staff will always want to help you if they can.
• Go to lectures! They are easier to understand when you are there in the moment and you can ask questions there and then. Apart from anything else, when you watch them back instead, it always takes longer.
• If you have questions about which modules you have to take and which you have to pass, check the student handbook. It's all in there.
• When I first started, I put a lot of pressure on myself to try and make things perfect. What I've learned though now I'm in my second year is to check how many credits an assignment is worth and bear that in mind rather than treating everything as equally important.
• Join a society - there are loads of things going on and it helps you meet people and not just sit in your room. It can be a bit intimidating at first, but just try things out.
• Get outside everyday if you can. There's loads to do on campus and some great places nearby but even when you're busy just go for a quick walk.
• It's never too early to start thinking about a career. You may not have time to do extra things like internships in your final year. I just signed up to Gradnet Link opens in a new windowwhich is a bit like LinkedIn. It's interesting to see all the different companies and industries where alumni work, especially when I can see that they did the exact same degree as me, albeit 5-10 years back.
• If you've got any issues, talk to your lecturer. If you can't do that, send feedback on the SSLC form because sometimes there's an easy fix.

What is your best money-saving/budgeting tip?

• Download the Warwick Moves app and earn points for all your steps. This very quickly adds up to a coffee from various outlets on campus (limited to one per week and assuming you drink in or have a reusable cup) or other offers which get updated each term.

• Make enough for 3-4 meals and freeze the extra portions. That way, you reduce the amount of time cooking, save from bulk buying and won’t spend as much on takeaway.

• Go to the supermarket late when the yellow stick deals are on and use the next day or freeze.

• The Student's Union offers some good budgeting Link opens in a new windowadvice and are supportive if you need help.
• Look at the Too Good To GoLink opens in a new window app for meals and snacks.
• Try basic brands for as many things as you can – sometimes they’re grim but often they’re just the same as any other brand.
• Open a bank account that offers incentives.
• Buy a travel mug/thermos instead of buying hot drinks
• Go to the Student CinemaLink opens in a new window
• Decide before you go out how much you can afford to spend.
• Go to a Physics Staff and Student lunch.
• Use a budgeting app.Link opens in a new window
• Find a way to separate your money into pots so you know how much you have for different things. Some accounts have options to split your money into pots which is really helpful.
• Follow social media accountsLink opens in a new window who share bargains and freebies like CouponKidUKLink opens in a new window.

You can also find some advice here on Budgeting, Living & Course Costs and Student Funding Support. If you're struggling, there is help available so let someone know.

Who/which is your favourite artist/band?

The Physics playlist is still a work in progress and it's going to be wide-ranging! Thank you for telling us about the bands you adore and the 'guilty pleasure' artists you secretly listen to on repeat.

Can you spot the bands or artists who have any songs which link to Physics?

If you're interested in the Science of Music, find out more about an optional module hereLink opens in a new window

• The Beatles
• Coldplay
• Pink Floyd
• Black Sabbath
• Tori Amos
• Fallout Boy
• Billie Eilish
• McFly
• The Weeknd
• Muse
• Kanye West
• Train
• Whitney Houston
• Owl City
• SZA
• Soundgarden
• Taylor Swift
• Maverick City
• David Bowie
• Luke Combs
• R.E.M
• Musical Soundtracks
• Pentatonix
• Daniel Caesar
• Frank Sinatra
• Radiohead
• Florence and the Machine

• Pulp

• Mercury Rev

• Catatonia

• Bjork

• Sharon Van Etten

• Father John Misty

• Laura Marling

• Blur
• Haley Heynderickx
• Nina Simone

What have you observed as best practice in relation to inclusivity in a learning environment?

These are some examples people have shared about their own experience of inclusivity. If you have suggestions of ways the Physics Department could be more inclusive, please let us know by emailing physicsug@warwick.ac.uk, visiting the Student Office (P5.20) or sharing anonymously via the SSLCLink opens in a new window.

• When staff are clear about what needs to be achieved but are flexible around the things can be tweaked to suit a student's preferred way of working - acknowledging different people work in different ways.

• Provide slides/notes in advance.

• Record lectures and provide accurate transcripts.

• I also ask my students for feedback after the first 6 lectures to give me their perspective on the lectures and if there are any suggestions for improvement.

• I felt really valued by the way a senior member of staff talked with me and gave me guidance without any sense of hierarchy or judgement
• What not only made me feel included but gave me faith in the people around me and the project we were about to embark on was when, right at the beginning of the project timeline, we were first getting to know each other. The project leads set up individual meetings with each team member to discuss communication preferences, access requirements, and our hopes and expectations of the project. Not only was I listened to, but I could see how my feedback, my needs were being considered and met from the very beginning. It wasn’t a tick box exercise; it was genuine inclusive practice.

• Offering the opportunity to share challenges or preferences in case these aren't known about or if there's more that can be done to support/adapt. When someone shows they are willing to adapt things if they can, it makes it easier to share any difficulties and just generally feel supported.

• Agreeing a way I could be given the space/opportunity to contribute in a tutorial but with no expectation or pressure to was really helpful for me. It meant I felt like my presence was valuable even at times I couldn't verbalise anything.

• Regularly seek and act on feedback where possible to ensure teaching/mentoring has the maximally positive impact.

• When someone acknowledged some possible barriers I was facing and shared a variety of ways to possibly overcome them, without assuming what will work me gave me a sense over agency but also supported.

• I ask students at the beginning of my lecture course to let me know (anonymously if they prefer) of any challenges that they have that would be good for me to know about so that I can adapt my teaching accordingly. I know not all challenges have been formally documented.