Studying at home has a lot of perks. You’re in a comfortable environment where you can make your own schedule, get up a bit later and snack whenever you want. You also don’t have to worry about having to dash across campus to get to the next class, since most lectures have been replaced by virtual classes and meetups.
However, this doesn’t mean studying at home is easy. Procrastination is a side effect of being at home and you can easily get distracted as well. Take a look at our tips on how to study well from home and how to avoid productivity killers.
Get Changed
Changing out of your pyjamas will help to put you in the right mindset to study. Pyjamas or loungewear are associated with downtime, not with work, so you may find it more difficult to focus on your studying if you’re dressed as if you were going to bed.
Build a Routine
Having a routine is crucial for students, even if they’re home. Get up at the same time, take breaks throughout the day and stop studying after a certain hour. Maintaining this routine can help you to create well-defined boundaries for study that will keep you going without falling for the dreaded procrastination.
Don’t leave anything for the ‘future you’ that you can do today!
Plus, being good at managing time is a great skill to have that will serve you well throughout your life. You need to have enough time to study in your routine, but it’s also important that you make time for hobbies and for family and friends.
Clean Your Space Beforehand
It’s easy to become distracted and want to procrastinate if your study space is cluttered. You’ll probably want to clean it instead of focusing on your books and assignments, so it’s important that you unclutter it beforehand. This way, the space, whether a small desk or a home office, will always be ready for you.
Turn Off the TV
Having the TV in the background can be incredibly distracting, even if you can focus with noise. This is because the images on the screen may draw your attention more than the book in front of you, especially if they’re playing your favourite programme, show or film.
Watch TV once you’re done with work, as this can be a nice reward for finishing up studying for the day.
Reward Yourself
Speaking of rewards, why not get something you really want when you finish a session or when you complete a paper? For example, you may want to eat an extra slice of cake or play a game – use this positive reinforcement to motivate yourself while studying and, after that, you can take a break and enjoy your treat or your game.
Try not to interrupt studying time to do this, since that can distract you.
Continue to Socialise
Measures have eased up considerably, but you may not be able to meet your friends yet. If this is the case, make sure that you carry on socialising with them even if through Skype, WhatsApp or Facebook. While you probably miss seeing people in person, talking to your friends online can help you to maintain that sense of community that you’ve built in Uni.
Set Goals
When studying, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of things to learn. However, you don’t have to tackle the workload like that. Break it up into smaller parts by setting achievable goals that will keep you motivated. For instance, get a daily goal of learning two new pages of a textbook; you may even set a goal to reach a certain word count on an assignment by the end of the week.
Having something to work towards will keep you motivated and can also keep Netflix or social media off your mind. And it feels amazing when you can physically tick off tasks in your to-do list.
Don’t Leave Things for Last Minute
Studying a little bit every day means you don’t have to spend countless sleepless nights going over material that you’re likely to forget after the exam.
You’re more likely to succeed if you take your time instead of rushing the days before the exam, since you’ll be better prepared by studying often. Learn in small chunks, stay organised and you’ll see how much easier it is to retain information.
Because we provide student accommodation in Lancaster and student accommodation in Reading, we understand exactly how difficult it can be to study at home, especially with the global pandemic. Distractions are easy to come by nowadays, but this doesn’t mean you can’t succeed at studying.
On the contrary; follow our tips to study well from home and you’ll achieve your goals, from acing an exam to finishing up all your assignments. Get in touch if you have any questions about our accommodation or the amenities included in them, or book your room today.
