My journey with studying nutrition began when my little boy was 18 months old. I’ve since had a baby girl and often get asked how I study with a baby and a toddler. Over the past two years, I have found different ways to study with young children.

Preparing for the start of the semester:

• One week before the semester commences, Endeavour typically releases units in the LMS. The first thing I do is add all assignment due dates, quizzes and exam periods to my calendar. To prepare for exams and assignments, I block out extra time on my calendar two weeks prior so I can focus on additional study.
• The week before the unit starting, I will also read over the lecture slides and do the learning module. If there are livestreams, I will watch them once they are uploaded to the LMS the following week. Being a week ahead, I tend to not fall behind, even if my little ones become sick or if we have a holiday booked.
• Before the unit starts, I create folders for each week (I use OneNote) and add additional folders for any exams or assignments. I will add any helpful tips that the lecturer provides to these folders so that when it comes to preparing for exams and assignments, I have them all handy.
• Having a dedicated workspace with two screens has been a game changer for me; this helps me study more effectively and saves so much time compared to trying to flick back and forth between screens.

Throughout semester:

• I try to get most study done when my son is at kindy or daycare and my baby is napping. I also try to squeeze in a bit of extra study time and revision when they go to sleep at night. On the days that I study, I like to be super organised, I try to prepare breakfast the night before, like a delicious overnight bircher muesli and have nourishing chicken soups or veggie bread in the freezer to have for lunch.
• If I’m not able to attend the lectures live, I will watch back and change to 1.5x speed; I will have the lecture open on one screen and OneNote open on the other screen. This saves time and if I need to, I will pause and write additional notes.
• Making time for daily movement and time outdoors is non-negotiable for me, whether that’s a walk in nature with my little ones, a yoga class, or doing some gardening. This helps with my concentration and staying focused on what I’m studying.

Assignment and exam preparation:

• I like to use at least one to two days of the study break to prepare for either an upcoming exam or assignment; I find this helps so much with staying on top of my study load.
• For exams, I record myself on my phone asking myself the practice exam questions, pause, and then give the answer. I then listen back when driving or doing things around the home; it really helps me to memorise the answers.
• I love chatting with my son about what I’m studying using simple terms, I even draw diagrams to make it easier for me to memorise for exams. He’s become fascinated with the word “why,” and I love his curiosity. Sharing my studies with him and what I’ve been learning has been a really fun experience and defiantly helps me in remembering the content.

I hope you have found these tips helpful, studying nutrition is one of the best things I’ve ever done and I’m so glad that I took the leap and started. Please reach out using the contact details below if you have any questions or would like to connect. I share helpful tips, recipes and my journey of studying with children on my Instagram.