Organise your first university year: deadlines, study, money, home and support in one system
A practical system for the year you run your whole life at once: every deadline on one page, study methods that work, a budget that lasts the term, a calm approach to housing and a support map made before you need it.
- First-Year Organiser workbook: 14 sheets, from deadline register and study log to spaced reviews, budget, house scorecard, support map and a traffic-light dashboard with 4 charts
- Grade and Study Hours Calculator: weighted marks, what you need on the rest, an editable grade scale for any country and credits turned into weekly hours
- 5 fillable PDFs and 4 Word files: semester plan, weekly review, assignment planner, exam plan, house viewing check, 35 messages, a flatmate agreement, a group charter and 5 letters
- A 9,400-word guide with 23 figures following one first-year student, Aisha, through her first semester
The First-Year University Organiser · Bodhih Pro Kits · 299 by Bodhih Training, trainers to 2,000+ companies since 2008.
How do I organise my first year at university?
Put every assessment into one register in week 1, turn your credits into weekly study hours, and give each study block a place and a time. Study with retrieval and spacing, budget the term by category, and build a support map early. The First-Year University Organiser from Bodhih Training gives you the tools for each step.
Want the full free guide first? Read How to organise your first year at university, week by week.
You already feel the problem. Here is what it is costing you.
Deadlines in six different places
Every module tells you its deadlines separately. Without one register, three things land in the same week and you only find out on the Wednesday before.
Studying when there is time
Timetables look half empty, but credits expect as many hours outside class as in it. Without blocks with a place and a time, study gets squeezed by everything else.
Reading that does not stick
Rereading and highlighting feel productive. Then a closed-book question shows how little you can recall.
Money that arrives in lumps and leaves in drips
A loan or family transfer looks large on day one. Without a plan by category, welcome week and takeaways quietly eat the rest of the term.
Flatmates, houses and help
A sink full of pans, pressure to sign for next year's house in October, and no idea who to call when a friend stops coming out of their room.
Picture the next few weeks with the kit open beside you.
Imagine it is Friday afternoon in week 7. You open one dashboard and see, in a few seconds, what is due in the next fortnight, what you should have started, your study hours against your target, how much of that time was real recall, your paid hours against your limit and your spending against plan. Nothing is a surprise, because you have looked every Friday.
As you log tonight's study session, notice how small it is: date, module, method, minutes. That minute is what lets the workbook show your real pattern, and what lets you walk into a meeting with your personal tutor with numbers instead of worries.
When a mark comes back lower than you hoped, you will already know what to do: type it in, read the mark you need on the rest, turn the feedback into three actions. When someone offers you an extra shift in a crunch week, your answer is already written on a card.
Whether you start with the deadline register tonight or the support map tomorrow morning, the first hour is mapped for you, step by step, and every step names the file and the first thing to type.
20 files that do the work for you
The e-book shows you how. The tools make it happen. Here is exactly what you download.
The First-Year University Organiser (e-book, PDF)
The guide: methods, worked examples, scripts and exercises
Start here: your first-year map
Your first hour, your first week, every moment of the year with the file to open, a 30/60/90-day plan and how to brand the templates in five minutes.
First-Year Organiser workbook
Settings-driven master workbook: modules and marks, assessment register with start-by dates, study log, spaced review planner, commitments, money in and out, budget plan, weekly balance, second-year house scorecard, support map and a traffic-light dashboard with four charts.
Grade and Study Hours Calculator
Weighted module marks, the mark you need on the rest for your target or to pass, a credit-weighted year view, an editable grade scale for any country, credits turned into weekly study hours, and exam what-ifs.
Semester plan and goals worksheet
Three-page fillable worksheet for week 1: map your modules, put every deadline on one page, find the crunch weeks, and set three WOOP goals for study, money and life.
Weekly plan and Friday review
Two-page fillable sheet for every week: a Sunday plan with fixed commitments, three outcomes, study blocks and spaced reviews due, and a 15-minute Friday review with dashboard numbers and one change.
Assignment planner: brief to submission
Three-page fillable planner for every coursework or lab report: unpack the brief and marking criteria, back-plan the work from the deadline, check integrity and AI use, and run the final checks.
Exam season revision plan
Three-page fillable plan for the four weeks before exams: exam list, topic traffic lights, a revision timetable built on retrieval and spacing, and exam-day logistics.
House viewing and tenancy check
Three-page fillable checklist for second-year housing: questions before you view, what to check in the property, the contract and deposit check, and the flatmate conversation before anyone signs.
First-year message library
35 ready-to-edit emails and messages for tutors, extensions, group projects, flatmates, landlords, employers, societies, money advice, family and the hard moments.
Flatmate agreement, group project charter and letters
A one-page flatmate agreement with bills split and cleaning rota, a one-page group project charter, and five ready-to-send letters: extension request, repair request, deposit return, reference request and employer availability.
Worked example pack: Aisha's first semester
The kit's forms and sheets completed for one illustrative composite student, from semester plan and WOOP goals to study log, Friday review, marks, an assignment plan, budget, house scorecard and support map.
AI prompt pack for first-year study
26 tool-agnostic prompts that make an assistant quiz you, plan with you and check your thinking, grouped by part of the year, each with what to paste in and what to check, plus the rules and a use log.
Numbers that matter
The 13 numbers the First-Year Organiser calculates: plain-words definition, formula, where it lives and what to do if it moves.
Study methods quick reference
Retrieval practice, spacing, interleaving, worked examples, elaboration and past papers on one page, with blank-page recall, Cornell-style notes, the Leitner box and a session design.
Decision card and mistakes to avoid
14 if-then decisions for the moments first years go wrong, plus 12 common mistakes and what to do instead.
Student rules by country: correct at November 2026
Dated reference: international student work limits (UK, US, Australia, Canada), housing and deposit rules to check, credit and study-hour conventions, free support lines and how grade scales differ.
Semester wall planner and study cards (print pack)
Five printable pages: a semester wall planner, a weekly timetable grid, eight retrieval cards with a Leitner box guide, a fourteen-day exam countdown, and who-to-call cards for your wallet and fridge.
First-semester calendar plan
Weekly milestones, a Friday review and a Sunday plan for a semester of welcome week, 12 teaching weeks, two revision weeks and exams. Starts Monday 20 September 2027; shift the events to your own dates.
First-year task board (import file)
41 tasks with area, week, the kit file to open and a 'done when' test, ready to import into Trello, Asana, Notion, Planner or Jira.
Chapter by chapter
Each chapter opens with a real situation, gives you a method and ends with something to do today, using the tools in your kit.
- Format
- PDF e-book + XLSX + fillable PDF + DOCX + printable PDF + ICS + CSV
- Files
- 20 files plus a one-click ZIP
- E-book
- 69 pages
- Works with
- Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice, Word, Google Docs, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Preview, Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple Calendar, Trello, Asana, Notion, Planner
- Best for
- First-year undergraduates, and master's or PhD students starting at a new university
Your first year is a system, not a sprint
Why the first year is many small jobs at once, how the tools fit together and the one rule that does not bend.
The semester plan: every deadline on one page
Every assessment from every module in one register in week 1, crunch weeks found early, and three WOOP goals.
A weekly timetable you can keep
Turning credits into weekly hours, building study blocks with a place and a time, and the Sunday plan and Friday review.
Study methods that work: retrieval and spacing
Retrieval practice, spacing, interleaving and worked examples, with a session design and a spaced review planner.
Assignments, group work and academic integrity
Unpacking a brief, back-planning from the deadline, running a group project charter and keeping your work your own.
Marks, feedback and the grade calculator
Weighted marks, what you need on the rest for your target or to pass, and turning feedback into three actions.
A student budget that lasts the term
A term budget by category, logging in and out, planned against actual to date, and weekly caps.
Halls, flatmates and the second-year house
A flat agreement in the first fortnight, and a calm, scored, contract-checked approach to second-year housing.
Work, societies and the hours budget
An hours budget for paid work and societies, a written limit, and visa work limits where they apply.
Wellbeing and your support map
A support map built in week 1, early signs to act on, and how to help a friend.
Exam season
Revision as retrieval, spaced and mixed, a four-week grid and exam-day logistics.
Aisha's first semester in numbers
Aisha's week-7 dashboard in numbers, what she changed, and three habits to keep.
The dashboard numbers in plain words
Plain definitions of the dashboard numbers with Aisha's values.
AI rules for first-year study
Seven rules for using AI in first-year study without breaking integrity rules.
Not just reading. Tools you will actually open again.
Start here
- Start here: your first-year map (first hour, first week, every moment of the year with the file to open, 30/60/90-day plan, Brand it in five minutes)
Workbooks
- First-Year Organiser workbook: 14 sheets including Settings, Modules, Deadlines, Study Log, Spaced Review, Commitments, Money In, Money Out, Budget Plan, Weekly Review, Housing, Support Map and a Dashboard with 20 metrics, traffic lights and 4 charts
- Grade and Study Hours Calculator: 9 sheets (Start here, Inputs, Grade Scale, Components, Module Summary, Year View, Study Hours, Semester Load, Exam Scenarios)
Fillable PDF forms
- Semester plan and goals worksheet (3 pages, with WOOP goals)
- Weekly plan and Friday review (2 pages)
- Assignment planner: brief to submission (3 pages)
- Exam season revision plan (3 pages)
- House viewing and tenancy check (3 pages)
Word templates
- First-year message library (35 emails and messages)
- Flatmate agreement, group project charter and 5 letters
- Worked example pack: Aisha's first semester
- AI prompt pack for first-year study (26 prompts, rules and a use log)
Cheat sheets
- Numbers that matter (13 numbers with formulas)
- Study methods quick reference
- Decision card and mistakes to avoid
- Student rules by country, correct at November 2026
Print pack
- Semester wall planner and study cards (5 pages: wall planner, weekly timetable, retrieval cards with a Leitner box guide, 14-day exam countdown, who-to-call cards)
Calendar and import
- First-semester calendar plan (46 events)
- First-year task board import file (41 tasks for Trello, Asana, Notion, Planner or Jira)
E-book
- The First-Year University Organiser e-book: 10 chapters, 23 figures and Aisha's worked example throughout
When you have worked through it, you will be able to…
Every outcome is practised with a worked example and a tool, not just described.
- You will be able to put every deadline from every module on one page and spot crunch weeks months ahead
- You will be able to turn your credits into weekly study hours and build a timetable with blocks you keep
- You will be able to study with retrieval practice and spacing, and see how much of your time uses them
- You will be able to plan assignments backwards from the deadline and keep your work your own
- You will be able to work out what you need on the rest of a module for your target or to pass
- You will be able to run a term budget by category and act when a category runs over
- You will be able to agree a flat agreement and choose a second-year house without rushing
- You will be able to find the right support quickly, for yourself or a friend
Know your starting point. Prove your progress.
People who measure before and after improve faster and can show it. AssessAll, our sister assessment platform, has AI-graded assessments that pair with this kit. Take one now, work through the kit, then re-take it.
Study Skills & Learning Strategies
Take the assessment →AssessAll assessmentAcademic Integrity & AI Use: Where Your Line Is
Take the assessment →AssessAll assessmentGraduate Employability Skills Assessment with a Portable Record
Take the assessment →JobularySet goals you actually reach with the WOOP method (Jobulary)
Make it a growth plan →A taste of Chapter 3
Rereading feels like learning because the page becomes familiar, and familiarity is pleasant. But exams, problem sheets and lab reports do not ask you to recognise material; they ask you to recall it and use it. The gap between those two is where many first-year marks are lost. In 2013 a review in Psychological Science in the Public Interest by John Dunlosky and colleagues examined ten common study techniques. Two received the highest utility rating: practice testing (what this book calls retrieval practice) and distributed practice (spacing). Highlighting, rereading and summarising were rated low. That does not make them useless; it means they should not be most of your study time. The better news is that the stronger methods usually take no longer. They simply feel harder while you are doing them, and that feeling is easy to mistake for failure.
The honest comparison
| Free templates and typical advice | This kit | |
|---|---|---|
| Deadlines | A blank semester calendar | A register with weights, hours, start-by dates and crunch-week flags |
| Study | Advice to 'study smarter' | Retrieval and spacing explained, a spaced review planner and an active-method share on the dashboard |
| Marks | A GPA app for one country | An editable grade scale, needed-on-the-rest for target and pass, and exam what-ifs |
| Money | A monthly budget for salaried adults | A term budget built around lump-sum income, with planned to date against actual |
| Home | Generic house-hunting tips | A flatmate agreement, a viewing and contract check, a weighted house scorecard and letters |
| Support and integrity | A list of links | A support map, who-to-call cards, AI rules and prompts that quiz rather than write |
Made for you if…
- Students starting the first year of an undergraduate degree, at home or abroad
- First-years living away from home for the first time, in halls, hostels or shared flats
- Master's and PhD students starting at a new university who want their year organised from week 1
- International students juggling study, part-time work limits and a new country
- Parents, tutors and supervisors who want to give a student a practical system
- Student society officers running welcome or study skills sessions
Probably not for you if…
- Anyone looking for someone or something to do their assignments: this kit teaches planning and study method, and never does the work for you
- Students who need subject tuition: pair this kit with your module materials and support centres
- A dissertation or doctoral project plan: the Dissertation and Thesis System and the PhD Research Manager kits cover those
Built by trainers, tested in real rooms.
Bodhih Training has designed and delivered corporate programmes since 2008. Bodhih Pro Kits package what works in those workshops into a guide plus the exact tools we use, so you can apply it the same day without a facilitator in the room.
From here to using it in three steps
- STEP 1
Tap Get the kit
Name, email and country. UPI, card or netbanking in India; international cards everywhere else. No account to create.
- STEP 2
Download instantly
Your download page opens at once, with every file and a one-click ZIP. A permanent link lands in your inbox too.
- STEP 3
Open the first tool
Start with the quick-start chapter, then the main spreadsheet or planner. Most buyers use something from the kit the same day.
Make this the week your first year gets a system
Open the Start-here map, type your semester start into Settings and copy your first deadline into the register. Whether you begin with the deadlines tonight or the support map tomorrow, you will know your next step, and the work stays entirely your own.
Personal licence for the buyer's own use (and use with your own team or clients where the kit says so). Please don't share or resell the files. Team and company licences: solutions@bodhih.com.
What buyers say
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The Bodhih family, when you are ready for more
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AssessAll
250+ AI-graded assessments to measure skills and earn verified credentials.
Jobulary
Individual development plans that start from evidence and stay yours.
Bodhih Training
Run this topic as a live workshop for your team, in person or online.
Pewple
Book a vetted coach for career, leadership or communication. Pay per session.
Bodhih.org pathways
Certification pathways in Applied AI, Workplace English and management.
The First-Year University Organiser: FAQs
Read the free guideAlready bought? Resend my linkWill this kit do any of my coursework?
No. It teaches planning, study method and organisation, and gives you tools to run your year. Every word, answer and line of code you submit must be your own. The AI prompt pack is written so an assistant quizzes you or helps you plan, and only within your university's policy.
How many hours should I study at university each week?
Credits tell you. In the UK one credit is typically about 10 hours of learning, so a 60-credit semester is roughly 40 hours a week including classes. The Grade and Study Hours Calculator turns your own credits and contact hours into a weekly independent study figure.
What is the best way to study in first year?
Test yourself rather than rereading, and come back to topics after growing gaps. A 2013 review by Dunlosky and colleagues rated practice testing and spacing highest of ten common techniques. The kit's Spaced Review sheet and retrieval cards make both routine.
Does it work in my country?
The method works anywhere, and the workbooks take any currency and any grade scale. The dated cheat sheet covers student work limits, housing rules to check, credit systems and support lines for several countries as at November 2026. Laws and university rules differ and change, so check the official sources and your university.
Can I use this with my students or society?
Yes, within your own teaching, tutoring or society sessions under the personal licence, for example to run a welcome week planning workshop. Each student should use their own copy of the workbook. Department, society and multi-user licences are available from solutions@bodhih.com.
Is the money, housing and wellbeing content advice?
No. It is educational and helps you organise your own situation. Check your student finance body, your bank, your tenancy contract, your students' union and qualified professionals for advice. The wellbeing chapter helps you find support; it is not medical advice, and in an emergency you should call your local emergency number.
Do I need Excel?
No. The workbooks open in Excel, Google Sheets and LibreOffice. The forms fill in any form-friendly PDF reader, the Word files open in Word or Google Docs, and the calendar imports into Google, Outlook or Apple Calendar.
I am already halfway through the semester. Is it too late?
No. Type your remaining deadlines and the marks you have, read the needed-on-the-rest figures, and start logging this week. Aisha's example starts its turnaround in week 7.
How can I measure my starting point?
If you want a check before you begin, the AssessAll assessments Study Skills & Learning Strategies; Academic Integrity & AI Use: Where Your Line Is; and Graduate Employability Skills Assessment with a Portable Record look at study habits, judgement about AI and integrity, and employability skills. They are optional and separate from the kit.
How do I turn this into a development plan?
Use the WOOP goals on the semester plan and your Friday reviews to pick one habit at a time. Jobulary's guide to the WOOP method shows how to set goals you actually reach, at university and later at work.
How much does The First-Year University Organiser cost?
₹799 including 18% GST for buyers in India, or $24 for buyers outside India. One-time payment, no subscription, with an automatic invoice.
How do I get the files after paying?
Instantly. Your download page opens the moment payment succeeds, and a permanent download link is emailed to you. Download each file separately or everything in one ZIP.
What software do I need?
Any of the usual tools: Excel or Google Sheets for spreadsheets, Word or Google Docs for templates, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Preview, Xodo or GoodNotes for the fillable PDFs, and Google, Outlook or Apple Calendar for the calendar plan.
Can I get a refund?
Because it is a digital download, kits are not refundable once downloaded. We always refund a duplicate charge or a failed delivery, and if a file is corrupted and we cannot fix it within 3 working days. Full terms: bodhih.org/refunds.
Can my company buy this for a team?
Yes. Team and company licences, and workshops on this topic run by Bodhih Training, are available. Write to solutions@bodhih.com or call +91 99000 11601.
