During
this strange time, many people are having to work from home. While some of us
are used to home study, this can be difficult for others. Distractions, poor
working environments, and a habit of procrastinating are all potential causes
of ineffective home study. It’s become more important than ever to find a
solution to these problems so that you can continue to learn and develop your
skills.
There
are a number of steps that you can take to give yourself the best chance for
effective studying. Some of these are as simple as giving yourself a good area
to work in, whereas others are more about tricking your brain into “studying
mode”. Giving yourself the best chance possible to study effectively will help
you retain and improve your knowledge until you get back to uni.
1) Keep to a Routine
Losing
your daily structure can massively impact your ability to retain information.
It’s very easy to accidentally switch to holiday mode, and start waking up
later, but this can hurt your studies. You should focus on getting up at the
same time each day and stick to your normal routine for attending lectures and
studying, minus leaving the house.
Keeping
to a daily structure can help your motivation and maintain your mental health.
A good routine also means that you can fit in some exercise, and still have
time for relaxing in the evening. Not to mention the ability to regulate your
sleeping schedule, which can often deteriorate when you lack a routine.
We all
know how tempting it is to spend all day in your pyjamas when you know you don’t
need to go out. However, getting dressed in a fresh set of clothes each day can
trick your brain into work mode, and give you an energy boost. This also has
the same benefits as the previous tip; keeping to this routine can help you
stay motivated.
3) Take Regular Breaks
It can
be easy to fall into the trap of studying all the time while you’re at home.
Without the need to go anywhere, and without the clear divide between home and
university, you may find that you’re studying for a lot longer than you realise.
This can cause extra stress during this already stressful time, which will hurt
your ability to study.
Taking
a break regularly, and finishing your studies exactly when you should, can help
you maintain the uni/home divide. A break can involve simply going for a walk
around the house and getting a cup of tea. Alternatively, you can make your
break more involved, by doing something more active such as yoga, or watching
an episode from whatever show you’re currently on.
4) Create a Tidy Working Environment
Your
working environment can influence your ability to retain information. Studying
in a messy or crowded area can cause distractions or may lead to you not being
able to study to the best of your ability. This extends to your digital working
space as well; by reducing the number of distractions on your computer when
you’re studying, you’ll be able to study more effectively.
You can
start by having a clean and tidy desk to do your studies from. You should
remove any distractions and give yourself plenty of space to write any notes or
read any books. If you find that you’re spending too much time on your phone,
try putting it in another room and only checking it when you have a break.
5) Use Technology to Help
Technology
really can help make your life easier when studying. Several companies are also
offering free access to their services during the coronavirus outbreak; make
sure you do your research as to what’s available, and how trustworthy the
company offering the service is. For example, Zoom, while easy to use, has many
security flaws.
If you
need to work on a project with other people, Google has lots of resources that
can help. Google Hangouts allows you to talk to your project members, while
Google Docs and Google Drive can help you collaborate on your work. There are
also programs such as Google Calendar which you can use to manage your
time.
6) Stay in Touch with Your Friends and
Family
Now,
more than ever, we should be spending time keeping in touch with our friends
and family. Reaching out to people can help if you feel alone being at home,
and you may find that you’re helping others by giving them someone to talk to.
This is especially important if you’re still staying in your student accommodation
and haven’t returned home.
Staying
in contact can be as simple as giving someone a call, but you can also use apps to video chat with your friends and family. Facebook Messenger and Facetime are
both free apps that you can use to video call with other people. You could make
this a regular part of your routine, which can give you something to look
forward to.
Unihousing Student Accommodation
Being
prepared for the next academic year at university can help reduce some of the
stress caused by the COVID-19 lockdown. Unihousing is still open and can assist
you in finding your ideal student accommodation at the University of
Birmingham. By contacting our reception team, they can take down your
requirements and send through details of any properties that may suit you.
All our
Unihousing student accommodation, including our Selly Oak studios provide good
working environments for home study. Our quality student lets feature a
spacious study area, with enough room for your computer and any study material.
Many of our student studios also include free internet in the cost of the rent,
so you can study effectively and stay in touch with loved ones.
Talk to
our friendly reception team today so you can find your ideal student
accommodation for the next academic year.
Contact Unihousing Today to Discover What We Can Do For You!!
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