Hey lovelies, welcome back!
Day two of "freshers" week and today I'm sharing how I plan to
study and stay motivated at uni this year. Due to covid, my lectures and seminars
are all online this semester and I'll hold my hands up and admit that
independent studying isn't my strong suit. When they first moved online at the
end of the last semester, I stopped attending the weekly lectures and focused
my energy on my assignments instead. While it worked then, as it was the end of
the academic year, it won’t fly this term what with it being new content and
all…
So, here are my suggestions on how to stay motivated and productively
study from home, covid-style.
1. ORGANISE YOUR WORKSPACE ~
Now, by this I don't just mean your desk, I mean your room in general.
You’re going to be spending a lot of time in there, so why not make it a space
you love spending time in. For me that means spending a bit of money and decorating
my room exactly how I want it! Investing in a new desk chair is also at the top
of my list; since I'm going to be spending a lot of time at my desk, it needs to
be comfy!
"A clear workspace equals a clear mind" is a saying I love. Having a
clear, tidy workspace and surrounding myself with things that bring me joy to
look at reduces any stress I have about my work and boosts my productivity
tenfold.
2. PLAN AHEAD ~
I consider myself quite an organised person regardless and is easy when
I lead a very busy life but studying at home requires a little more planning
than usual. Since I'm not seeing my lecturers in person and don't have full use
of the university’s facilities, starting assignments earlier than usual is
essential! Simple things such as arranging a meeting with lecturers or using the
library will be a little trickier this semester, so planning ahead allows time
for the aforementioned and will reduce pre-deadline stress massively!
3. SETTING ACHIEVABLE GOALS ~
At home it's easy to get distracted, and so expecting to work solidly for a long period of time is unrealistic and will almost certainly result in more procrastination being done than work. Instead, set yourself achievable goals. Try using the pomodoro method, or something similar, and implement regular timed rest breaks in-between working. In those breaks, grab a drink or snack, get some fresh air, watch a YouTube video or catch up on social media. By doing this, you are refreshing your attention span and will be more productive.
If you know the times when you work best, structure your day around them. This will automatically create a schedule and enhance that feeling of getting stuff done.
4. REWARD YOURSELF ~
Reward the little things. You've reached a certain word count,
celebrate! You've ticked that task of your to-do list. "treat yo
self!". Not in the literal sense of going out on a shopping spree, but
reward yourself by watching your latest Netflix binge for an hour, spend a bit
of time on a hobby like baking, reading or listening to music, socialise with
your friends for a while or even take a nap! This will help you feel a sense of
accomplishment and encourage you to keep going when you’re lagging as you will
have a goal post in mind.
5. ALLOW YOURSELF DOWN TIME ~
Most importantly, make time for yourself! Studying from home doesn't
mean you have to be working all the time! Spend a few hours working in the
afternoon and then give yourself the night off. Have a bath and a bit of a
pamper or go out for the evening. Self-care is often overlooked but is vital to
not only studying at home but navigating uni life generally! Setting a routine
of separating work hours from leisure hours will not only reduce stress and
boost your productivity when you do work, but also make you feel more grounded
and make the uni/home life feel evenly balanced.
How are you planning on studying covid-style? Is there anything I’ve missed? Let me know in the comments.
No comments:
Post a Comment