August is coming to a close. Many people are already back at school but I've still got a couple of weeks to frantically finish my summer reading and see as many London friends as possible. Some of you may be aware that I haven't had a particularly amazing summer - a couple of lovely holidays broke up long periods where panic attacks seemed to overwhelm me. I'm not sure what will happen when I return to university, but hopefully if I keep taking my medication and sort out a counsellor as soon as possible I'll be okay.

It's weird how I manage to get on with things at university. Granted this time last year I wasn't constantly terrified of vomiting and gripped with panic every other day, but once you've shed some tears and bonded a little with the strangers you've been shoved into a flat with, university is really quite manageable. That is first year though. All year you hear 'but this doesn't count towards your final grade.' A lot of people disregard this and work really hard. A lot of people do nothing and scrape by. Or don't. Most people fall in the middle - get the work done, but it's completed five hours before the deadline and you've written most of it in an over-caffeinated sleep-deprived stupor. I think I cried every other essay I wrote.

I've decided this year to be a little more organised (I do say this a lot. We'll see) to take care of Future Me. Self care definitely involves taking breaks, but it also means considering what your actions now mean later. For example, if I don't head to the library and do some secondary reading as soon as I get my essay questions (aka before I start writing it) I'll spend an entire weekend flicking desperately between JStor and Microsoft Word. JStor is such an excellent resource, obviously, but getting into the habit of using the library and looking up books and taking notes is essential. Another example - if I don't plan my essay before I write it I'm guaranteed to get feedback telling me it needs more structure.

Exams are also very difficult for me and I never do as well in them as I do in my coursework. Ever. I nearly failed my drama exam in May. I need to ensure my coursework has enough marks so that my final grade isn't too dented from my inevitable exam issues. Furthermore, I need to ensure my Future Self has the revision materials she needs. Enter Stationery. I thought I might share my favourite materials for getting through classes (lectures, seminars, tutorials, whatever you have) and then exams (highlighters and lots of paper).

In the picture above you can't see my main item. It's hidden under my 'Note to Self' pad (courtesy of my oboe teacher), which is very helpful for to-do lists/shopping lists/reading lists. I LOVE sectioned notebooks. They are so great. I think I also like notebooks more than paper and folders at the moment, because I can't figure out how to turn pages in a pad of paper and the pages always end up folded and crumpled in my bag. Can't explain how much I hate crumpled pages inside a folder. Notebooks keep everything together, and sections mean I can keep all my notes for my different modules together. Today I bought a 4 section notebook from Paperchase (£7.25 I think). I buy one per semester - one section per module (three) and the final one for notes I take from secondary reading. Done. Easy peasy. For exam revision I write up all my notes on sheets of paper (and highlight like crazy) and keep them in a folder and then transfer that to more condensed notes, flashcards or practise essay plans.

My second thing is biros. So easy and no smudging and comfy. I use Pilot ones with the cushiony bit where your finger rests. The ones I bought today were a lot more expensive than I was expecting (£2.50 each...) but I'm hoping they'll be worth it.