Are you finding it difficult working from home and staying motivated during lockdown? Because if so, you aren’t the only one.
Exam season has crept up on us all this year and we understand that learning is vastly different for everyone. Either way, we’re here to advise you on some methods of staying motivated and productively studying from within your accommodation.
Manage Productivity
Firstly, it’s vital to ensure a healthy work/life balance. We understand some students living in halls are limited with space, but our main piece of advice would be to avoid attending lectures and completing essays from your bed. Clear your desk and use this as a designated space for you to complete your university work. This will give you a more productive mindset thus allowing you to get more work done and by extension, granting a more restful night’s sleep.
Baby Steps
Set small, manageable tasks each morning. Start by ticking off the highest priority tasks first, that way if you don’t make it through the whole list, you’ll still feel like you’ve accomplished something throughout the day.
Remember to reward yourself once you have completed tasks, whether it be a tea break or dinner with a friend. Rewards will incentivise you to work through your to-do lists faster. But remember, It is vitally important not to overwork yourself as your ability to retain information diminishes after 30 minutes of intense work. Distribute your workload into small, manageable chunks!
Staying Motivated
Minimise your distractions. Turn off your phone and leave it on the other side of the room, we both know 5 minutes of scrolling is never just 5 minutes. Ensure your housemates are aware that you’re going to be studying for a few hours so they won’t come and disturb you.
Working from home can be lonely – schedule zoom calls with friends on your course so you can work together. Even though you might not be able to go to the library with friends and work on projects, it is important to seek help when needed. Working with others can help build motivation and can help you bounce ideas off one another in areas you each lack confidence in.
These are just a few tips that can help make studying at home easier but remember, it’s okay not to be extremely productive each and every day. You’ll find yourself having both good and bad days, but don’t beat yourself up over little things. Everyone is learning to adjust to these new learning conditions, give yourself some credit for completing a degree during a global pandemic.
Good luck. You’ll do great!
