With online study becoming the new norm (for the time being at least!), we’ve come up with some study tips for keeping you focused and motivated when working from home.
Establish a routine
It’s tempting to get out of bed five minutes before your online study session starts and sit around in pyjamas but establishing a routine can help you get the most of your day.
Get up at the same time each day and leave enough time to shower before your lecture starts. Give yourself time to have a good breakfast and wake your brain up before you need to study. This will help improve your concentration and stop you feeling like a zombie when your lecturer asks you an impromptu question in your online study session.
You should also set yourself a finishing time. Some people work better in the morning and some at night. Create a schedule around when you work best but make sure you start and finish at the same time!
Create your own workspace
Instead of propping yourself up on a few pillows in bed when online learning, why not create your own workspace? You don’t need to pick a whole room for this purpose, simply find a table you can work at. You could add a plant or a photo to make it feel more like your own. It can also help to sit near a window to let in natural light.
Tackle your most challenging task first
Ever wondered the most effective way to study? Tackle the biggest task of the day first!
It’s no good waiting until 3pm when you’re tired and preparing to wind down for the day to start working on a mammoth task. If you know you need to write an introduction to an essay that’s been worrying you, sit and do it early. If you have a bit of long and tedious reading, take it in your stride and make it the first thing you do. This will help you complete the task better but also add to your sense of accomplishment later on down the line.
Factor in breaks and exercise
Having some time away from your screen can be incredibly beneficial. It’s easy to fall into the trap of powering through work or spending your breaks browsing the internet when online learning, but going outside for a walk or sitting in another room away from your computer can help you refocus your mind once you go back to working.
You should also make sure you eat proper meals when you are studying from home. Snacking throughout the day can leave you craving food and make you distracted.
Remove distractions
Nowadays, we become easily distracted by notifications on our phones or social media updates. Try putting your phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’ while you’re studying from home so you’re not tempted to check it every time it buzzes. You can also try adding useful resources to your ‘Favourites’ on your internet browser and removing sites such as Facebook to keep you focused. Not only will distractions be minimised, but it will also seem like a real reward when you check them later.
Keep a record of completed tasks
It can sometimes feel like you haven’t achieved a lot at the end of a long day of studying which can be demotivating. Try keeping a list of what you’ve done throughout the day. You might have only done a few things but if you can jot them down and track your progress this will help you stay motivated and feel less guilty when it’s time to take a break.
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Written by Emma Chadwick