6 tips to study from home as effectively as possible

Become a study from home pro with these essential tips

As you will have heard constantly over the past few weeks, these are unprecedented times. Most of us will have experienced a significant shift in the way we live and work day to day. And along with all changes comes a period of adjustment, especially as we realise that this is to become the new norm (at least for now).

And we get it. Studying from home in many cases is an unfamiliar experience and many students will have never been in a situation like this before (especially if you are used to studying in your uni library or your student accommodation).

If this is the first time you are studying from home and you’re worried about what this means for your concentration, headspace and productivity, here’s some practical tips that will help you to focus on your studies while at home as effectively and efficiently as possible.

Believe it or not, you might find yourself getting more done while taking a break from the distractions of going into university!

Create a schedule

Map out your day every single day so that you have a realistic schedule to follow. If you have a schedule that you can keep in place, it will add more structure to your day and you will find it easier to find the motivation to get your work done.

Make sure that your daily schedule is realistic and allows plenty of time for breaks and getting outside for some exercise (or simply some breathing space!).

Communicate

Communication is key. If you have a friend on your course who will be your ‘study buddy’, it will certainly help you to not feel isolated. It would be great to plan calls with them to discuss not only your course but general life too! You can discuss any overlapping projects you might have, just like you would in a tutorial or project group.

In the evenings when you have finished your work, why not schedule a call with friends to switch off after a long day? Some popular group meeting platforms include Zoom and Google Hangouts.

Studying from home can feel quite isolating in comparison to the hustle and bustle of campus life, so maintaining communication with your pals is key to combating loneliness.

Set up a study space

You may think that studying from your bed is the best possible set up when it comes to studying from home, but it is very important to get out of bed and create a productive working environment.

Having a space that you can work from which you associate with studying and feeling productive is going to help you a lot. Working from a place that you associate with relaxation and sleep will unfortunately do the opposite (as nice as it may sound!).

Control your screen time

Being at home comes with a world of distractions. Try not to let unnecessary distractions get in your way of studying effectively.

Limiting your social media intake can really make a difference when it comes to the amount of time you spend procrastinating on your phone and the time you spend actually studying. Try to give yourself set times to go on your phone and when that time is up, switch your phone notifications off so you can’t be tempted!

There are apps that can help with this by tracking the amount of time you spend on certain platforms and letting you know when you have gone over your set daily limit. Try OffTime and Moment to get on this.

It’s also a good idea to limit the amount of news and general screen time you are taking in right now. Set yourself a time in the day in which you digest all the news and relevant information you need to know and try to stick to it. Constantly watching social media feeds and news can add to worries or anxieties that you may already have which can affect your headspace and your studies.

Know your goals

Set yourself some goals to achieve that day. Don’t make the list too long or unattainable because you might end up feeling defeated if you don’t get as much done as you’d like to.

Setting goals for yourself when studying from home can really help to keep a focus on what you want to accomplish and keep your goals at the forefront of your mind! It could be as simple as getting in your 10,000 steps a day, trying a virtual yoga class on YouTube or getting 500 words of an essay down.

Exercise

As we are experiencing a time when we are being encouraged to distance ourselves from other people, unfortunately contact and group sports are off the cards right now.

Thankfully, there are loads of ways you can stay fit and still maintain distance from others. Getting out for a walk and a jog is the most obvious and if you can spare half a day you might be able to find a good hike near you.

There are endless exercise classes and tutorials on YouTube and you can easily set these up at home. Whether you are feeling a spot of Zumba, yoga, some cardio or a circuits class, there are millions of options online. If you have Chromecast or another screen casting app, you may be able to stream videos to your TV and set up a class studio in your front room.

Coming up next on Student Money we will be sharing all our top tips for practicing mindfulness to help you remain in a good headspace whilst you study from home. We will also be sharing our music playlist recommendations to keep you motivated while you study!