Tips for Studying from Home

Many schools have transitioned from in-person classes to online classes due to the outbreak of Covid-19. Studying from home can be challenging – students may find themselves easily distracted by their pet, other family members, the fridge, the TV, roommates, and the bed. Technical problems or limited access to equipment might also create a barrier to effective online learning. For a number of reasons, students might just find themselves not as motivated or productive.

Some students may also struggle with anxiety related to Covid-19 while at the same time facing academic stress. Studying from home will require stronger willpower than usual to stay focused and adapting those tried and true strategies in this new learning environment.

To make this difficult adjustment a bit more manageable, the following tips will help students for effective distance learning:

Establish a Routine. Treat your study from home as if you are going to the library or attending actual classes. Set a time to wake up, freshen up, eat breakfast, and get dressed. Having an established routine can provide structure for your life and signal your brain “it is time to get work done.”

Have a Dedicated Study Area. Creating a physical boundary between your study area and your relaxation area could be very helpful to stay focused when studying from home. This can also help you to contain your academic stress to the study space.

Take Notes for Online Classes. It is important to put your phone away, turn off notifications from messages and social media on your computer, and close irrelevant webpages to minimize distraction. Taking notes during the online classes can also keep your hands busy and help to turn your attention to the class content.

Set break times for your study session (example: every 45 minutes) to get up, move around, and activate different parts of your brain. You can stretch, do a set of jumping jacks, walk around the room, and take a look at the view outside the window.

Building some social time during your day can motivate you to stay focused when studying. You can set a time when you are less productive to reach out to friends and family. You can connect with them either through phone calls or video chatting.

Write down what you need to accomplish in the next three days, and break them down into small tasks to complete in each day. Breaking down a big task into smaller chunks can make things less overwhelming and help you to get more motivated in getting them done! You can also share your study plan with your friends ( study buddies!) to keep yourself accountable.

Select healthy snacks when you study, and prepare lunches that will not put you to sleep afterwards. Having at least seven to eight hours of sleep at night is the best way to help you wake up feeling refreshed and ready to start your study during the day.

You can designate your less productive time of the day to attend to chores. Set your schedule in a way that you can focus on one thing at a time (example: studying, chores, relaxing, exercising) and know that you will have designated time later for other things on your to-do list.