Prepping for the academic year fall 2025

The start of the academic year 2025 is just around the corner! I “officially” (although it’s just something I’ve decided for my own studies) start my studies on Monday 8th (tomorrow). Since I mostly self-study and the formal studies I do is flexible and distance learning, I am able to choose my own starting date. So to have something to navigate around, I chose this date since September is when most universities start their terms. And a week into the month felt more comfortable than to start the first of the month, for some reason. Anyway, enough of explaining! Here is how I have prepared for the new academic year.

1. Starting to study just a little bit in advance, just to avoid overwhelm when the official date starts

I have started to study already, just a little bit, to avoid total overwhelm on September 8th. Sometimes it’s hard to just turn the switch on, like “now I’m going to study for 5 hours, even though I have been free all summer”. So I gradually increased the studies a little bit before the date is even here.

2. Keeping the books on the coffee table

This is so I can see them. For me, with autism and ADHD, things don’t exist if I cannot see them… So I have already placed the things I need on the table, even if it means it’s not neat and tidy anymore.

A busy table is a table that is used!

3. Keeping a learning journal

I have a learning journal since 1 year back. In this journal I have

My personal curriculum
Overview of the courses and programs I’m enrolled in
Thoughts and reflections on my studies throughout the year
Things I want to remember, good quotes and study motivation

I will, from monday 8th, try to write at least one sentence or paragraph about my learning that week. So one journal entry per week. Daily journaling is preserved for another more general journal!

Oh and I also have a separate learning journal for languages. It’s separate simply because my language learning has a lot of components to it so it requires a different journal. So in total I have 2 journals.