Stay at home – your tips for studying from home
Home is the new outdoors. This week, we look at studying at home.
Learning in a lockdown
We have all learnt to use a plethora of new terms, or words we don’t tend to hear often – “lockdown”, “social distancing”, “unprecedented”. And alongside this new list of vocabulary, we have also had to learn how to change our lifestyles and adapt to this way of being, very quickly.
Studying at home when you hadn’t planned to, can seem daunting for a moment here and there, and we realise this. We are here to help, and now we are in the swing of remote education, below are some tips on how to enhance your learning from home experience.
Customise your workspace
If you’re used to studying in the comforts of the Roy Graham Library, the transition to studying at home may be difficult, especially if you now have others others in the household. Now we’re all settling in to the world of online learning, this is the time to really create an environment that works for you. Comfort is key – if you have a desk, great, but if you don’t, placing your laptop on a surface that is comfortable with your essential items to hand will more than suffice. Ensure that everything you need is close by to minimise the distraction of getting up and down all the time, and keep your space neat! Less clutter means a calmer environment. If you are in a household with others, perhaps allocate time slots to use the workspace if you’re all in need of that quiet time.
Stay social
Socialising doesn’t have to stop at your online lectures, why not organise study groups with your coursemates? Discuss ideas, analyse together, share study advice so you won’t feel too isolated. Face-to-face lectures are a social collaboration and it’s important to maintain a sense of study community.
Map out your day
Think ahead and plan your day so you can engage with your learning effectively. You can set out a day that centres around the hours that you find yourself at your most productive and therefore manage dedicated time slots to study. Make sure you take your regular breaks and physically step away from your working zone, your laptop and your books to refresh your mind before you return. Making sure there is a starting and ending point to your day will also help to really switch off when you can.
Keep in touch with your lectures
Your learning and lifestyle circumstances still feel new, and different. There may be times that you feel overwhelmed, unsure or isolated. Your lecturers are here to help you manage your studies, and to answer any questions you have on your curriculum content . If you aren’t sure you have all the resources you need, reach out to us. We’re here to support you.
Remember your student experiences
Campus Ministries has moved online to ensure that you don’t miss out on the key weekly campus events. From Morning Workout to The Experience, its there for the taking. You can find the schedule here.
Feed your gut to feed your mind
Packing in the nutrients and maintaining a healthy diet comes with its challenges in the lockdown, opting for “easy” routes and quick fixes for meals are tempting, but choosing the right foods can energise you, fuel productivity and help frame of mind too. Ana Thompson shares key food groups, nutrients and supplements to include in your diet, and principles to guide you on our wellness series, ‘The Mindful Edit’.