Ping!…. Ping!….. Ping, ping, ping!
An overflowing inbox, with new emails coming in faster than you can delete the old ones, can feel like a lot. We get it. And we know you don’t want to be inundated with irrelevant information or unnecessary updates. Which is why we’re working hard to make sure that we are only sending you stuff that you need or want to know about.
However, email is still going to be one of your main communication channels as a student and it’s so important that you’re keeping on top of the different info that’s going to be sent your way. Life as a uni student means taking on new challenges, and one of those might be having to manage a busy inbox for the first time.
So, we’re here to help! The tips below will help you embrace good habits and become a pro at managing your emails:
- Organisation – create folders within your inbox, so you can file emails into the appropriate place and easily find things at a later date. Specific modules. Society updates. Correspondence with your landlord. If everything has its place then your inbox will feel neat and tidy rather than overflowing and overwhelming.
- Unsubscribe – you have the power to stop (some) unwanted emails reaching you. All corporate emails will have an unsubscribe option, so if you feel you’re being spammed then take two minutes to get yourself off that mailing list. Just don’t unsubscribe from Student Communications – our emails are useful and interesting, promise! Also, you’d miss out on really important information around term dates, health and wellbeing support, changes to academic regulations, IT shutdowns etc.
- Don’t ignore – five unread emails can quickly become 50 if you just turn a blind eye and pretend they’re not there. So, the best thing to do is to deal with emails quickly. For every email that you open do one of the following: Delete, Take Action or File it. Don’t be afraid to delete stuff that you don’t need. Just don’t leave it sitting unread.
- Set boundaries – accessing your emails on your phone is a great way to make sure you stay connected while on the go, and the point above highlights the benefit of regularly reading and actioning emails. But, 24/7 access to emails is not always a positive thing, so try to set your own boundaries to make sure you don’t start feeling overwhelmed. Perhaps limit inbox checks to certain times of the day, so you’re not constantly distracted by the notifications.
- Consider other ways of communicating – not everything has to be said via email. You could try to keep your emails for academic purposes, and move personal or social conversations somewhere else, such as WhatsApp or Teams. Also, if you find yourself in a lengthy email exchange with your lecturer, perhaps its worth speaking to them in-person instead.
- Get some training – there are some great resources out there to make sure you’re using your email system to its full potential. Unlock that knowledge by doing some research and finding tutorials for programmes such as Outlook and Gmail.
- Ask for help – hopefully these tips will help you navigate your uni inbox, but remember, if you get stuck, make sure you check out our UWE Email webpage.