Studying from Home: Tips to Help you Stay on Track

At the best of times, home study for your coursework and exams throughout the year can be hard to manage, but now students are having to manage distance learning full time for all of their degree. Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of working from home, ensuring you can stay on track with your degree, whilst also staying sane in your home life.

Studying at Home

Manage the Distractions

As the battle of social media distractions is now at an all-time high, it’s important to start putting in systems to help you manage your time effectively. It could be helpful to turn off your notifications or put your unnecessary devices in a different room. Try to not rely on your willpower as this could put more unnecessary pressure on yourself, making you feel guilty if you give in to the distractions.

Stick to a Timetable and Stay Organised

Even your studies at university do still have a particular schedule you need to follow and recreating something similar for your home study could help keep you stay on track and feel accomplished. For many, the lack of structure could create mental fogginess, resulting in you forgetting important details and assignments. You don’t have to have a strict timetable that has your every minute mapped out, but doing little things like weekly and daily checklists could help your brain stay on track. Whether you try noting things down in a diary, creating a vision board in your study area with all of your assessments and exams, or even just setting specific goals you need to meet, being organised and out of your head will help you stay focused.

Weekly Planner

Stay Connected to People from University

Though some of us can handle being alone for long periods, it can be difficult for a lot of people. It's a good idea to keep in touch with course mates and friends during your week, as this will help to keep some normality and a social community surrounding you.

It could also be helpful to set up a group chat and have video calls with course mates to discuss assignments, information and study together virtually. This could help all of you stay on top of your workload and keep each other accountable.

Though face to face contact isn't freely accessible, your tutors are still working too! As long as it’s during normal working hours, you can freely contact them if you have any questions or need help. They want you to succeed and do your best, so make sure you reach out for help when you need tutor support. Your university should also have other support options open if you need them.

Maintain Your Physical and Mental Health

All of us need to make sure that we are staying on top of our physical and mental health. Now that your home is also your workplace, make sure you are balancing your workload instead of letting it take over your life. By having regular breaks, days off and a consistent evening and sleeping schedule, you will be giving yourself the time you need to mentally recharge.

Eating a balanced diet and drinking plenty of water will also help your brain stay engaged. As tempting as it is to order takeout, cooking fresh meals will feed your body and help you focus and stay motivated. Additionally, it’s crucial that you are getting between 7-9 hrs of sleep daily, so that you wake up feeling refreshed, rather than exhausted before the day even starts.

Lastly, get some fresh air. Whether you step into your garden or go for a short walk around the block, breathing in the fresh air will help refresh and restart your brain when it gets jammed. Having a quick stretch or a short walk will also help your physical body to stay awake and function effectively.

Woman Jogging

Be Gracious to Yourself

All of us need to remember that these are difficult times. For some, the loneliness could take a toll on their mental health and it could become extremely difficult to complete coursework. Try to have compassion for yourself if you are having a bad day. Allowing yourself to relax and just breathe is extremely important and will help keep your mental health in shape.

How Can Unihousing Help?

It is our mission to help students find a great home and a place where they can thrive while at university. We have your best interests at heart, ensuring that our accommodation is up to a high standard of cleanliness with systems in place to protect both students and our staff.

With the current pandemic, we are taking extra measures to include first-class cleaning, in-depth hygiene standards and following the social distancing guidelines set by the government. Our goal is to keep you safe, ensuring you feel comfortable throughout the process. Have a look at our available properties and accommodation.