Magic is real guys and gals.

How do I know? Because somehow the past six weeks have just disappeared right before our eyes. But instead of receiving our late acceptance letters to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, it’s an email along the lines of:

“Hi all, if you are receiving this email it’s because you have enrolled in the semester two unit of…” Including key readings, lecture content and your dwindling hopes of a higher GPA. Some students will react with the typical groan or sob while others, the self-confessed lazy ones, will close the email and think of sunnier shores.

Sound like you? Well keep reading because here’s the lazy student’s guide to preparing for semester two.

Mental Preparation

Uni’s just around the corner so it’s time to prepare yourself mentally. Why? Because we’ve all had that tragic moment of lying in bed at 2am then bolting upright when you realise: “Oh shit! Uni!”

So don’t do it to yourself this time around. Mark it on your calendar and make your really organised friend or your mum or dad remind you that school’s back pretty soon. Next week, in fact!

Dedicate A Week

Dedicate the final week to doing all that needs to be done. And there’s no doubt you’ll end up procrastinating until you fall asleep in a salty puddle of your own self-loathing.

If you’re desperate, try a reward system to motivate yourself. And if you’re beyond desperate, summon that one really organised friend you have to force you to do the prep work.

Ask A Friend

And by friend I mean check out your uni Facebook or community page and see what’s going on because among the politics and memes, there’s bound to be a few announcements there.

These will range from new restaurant openings, sections of the uni being under construction, results and general student questions.

Or you could just ask your friends in the same degree.

Take Screenshots

You’re going to buy your books, right? But maybe just not right now. So take a few screenshots of your booklist and let it stick there for however long you need it to before you actually make a move on it. It’s just like a little reminder every time you check out your latest selfie.

And Again With Your Unit Guides And Readings

Download those unit guides and move them to your desktop. Label them with ridiculous names or make your wallpaper a huge reminder to get to them. Then all you have to do is wait for that burst of motivation that’s bound to come your way.

Make A Date!

Need to go to uni to actually buy your books but can’t be bothered? Then make a reason to go like a brunch date or a bae date or just a mutually beneficial catch-up. Use the time to also figure out where the fuck your new tute rooms are – especially if you’re doing random electives on a campus the size of your CBD.

Steffanie is studying a Bachelor of Journalism at Monash University.

(Lead image: Justine-reyes/Flickr CC)