Trying to stay productive whilst studying at home?
You wake up in the morning, roll out of bed and think to yourself “Today is the day, I’m going to complete my coursework and read at least 2 whole chapters” as you proceed to wear your favourite hoodie and put your comfy socks on.
Four hours later, you’re staring out the window and realise you haven’t accomplished anything…
Well, that’s not true, you have accomplished quite a lot actually. You’ve checked your Instagram five times, discovered a new Netflix series to watch, cooked meals for the next 2 weeks, created a new YouTube channel, and finally even cleaned your room, not once, but twice. Everything except what you were supposed to do… (sigh)
Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. I’ve been studying and working from home in the past few days so here are a few tips that worked for me to get the most out of learning from the comfort of being at home!
1. Make a plan and keep track of your tasks
Set a time you wake up, eat breakfast, get dressed, and begin studying. If you don’t set a time and a structure, you’ll see yourself eating breakfast at 1 pm and taking a nap straight after :D. A plan will also help you spare some time to do other things which are not studying during the day.
I personally use Trello to keep track of my tasks. It allows you to add cards with your daily tasks/objectives on each card and re-arrange them once you’ve completed a task or are working on it. It really does help!
2. Take notes. No seriously, take notes.
If you’re sitting at home revising, you’re probably watching the recorded lecture on your computer. Don’t let the convenience of being able to rewind and play it again keep you from taking notes. In fact, ditch the laptop and grab the old pen and paper.
Research shows that when using laptops, students get distracted more and remember less. On top of that, you get less done. The amount of times I’ve fallen asleep while watching these lectures…
Don’t worry, that’s not me on the picture.
3. Eat and sleep properly
Don’t forget to eat! Your body (and your brain) needs fuel to help stay in top form. Plus, it’s difficult to focus when your stomach is growling. Have healthy snacks while you study, but make sure they’re prepared in advance so you don’t spend too much time away from your work. More time away means more opportunity to be distracted!
Students of all ages should get at least eight hours of sleep every night (I should probably start following that too…). It’s the best way to ensure that the brain is refreshed and ready to process all of the information learned during the day. It may be tempting to stay up late to cram, but it’s more beneficial to get enough rest.
4. Keep your space clean and your phone away
I know it’s really tempting to see that notification blinking on your phone and wanting to answer it immediately… We’ve all been there. But honestly, keeping your phone away from you is one of the best ways to avoid distractions. If you’re a phone or social media addict like me, start by turning your notifications off. I recently turned my Instagram push notifications off and I completely stopped procrastinating… Just kidding, that’s never going to happen, but I did start being much more productive throughout the day :D
5. Invest in a good headset and chair
No matter how excellent your focus is, if you study at home it can be virtually impossible to tune out the noise around you. A good noise-cancelling headset will be a huge help in this regard! Out of personal experience lately, I’d also recommend myself and all of you to get a good mic, especially if you’re going to be having meetings or study sessions online with your colleagues.
It’s tough to stay focused on a challenging task if you’re distracted by your aching back. Invest in a chair that is comfortable and promotes good posture. You’ll be able to focus more and be healthier along the way! And no, your bed is not an option just in case you were thinking about that :)
