7 Tips For Studying At Home Now That All Your Courses Are Online
At this point, most uni’s have taken their courses online, and by all accounts most school kids are (understandably) choosing to stay home.
I know some people thrive with an online degree, I am not one of those people. I like being in a physical classroom. Being able to corner the tutor at the end of class when I’m confused out of my brain, and being able to see the face of the classmate when they make awkward choices. Heck, I even love printouts.
I’m sounding like such a nerd right now, I have no idea what I’m not an A student. Don’t judge me, my brain just works better with structure, ok?
Yet, this isn’t going to get me a free ride at uni, and let’s not forget that the HSC is still going ahead. So we all still need to be doing the work (booooo).
I’m only doing one class at the moment, but do you want to know what I prepared for the first class – now exclusively to be conducted via Zoom? Nothing. I did nothing, I read nothing, I even missed the emails telling me what I was meant to be doing.
I’m determined to be better next week, and this is how I plan to get there, for anyone else currently feeling my struggle.
#1 Know your subject outline
Have a squiz at the start of semester, set reminders for all assignment and exam dates, then set reminders for before the due date to actually start working/studying.
No more forgetting about it until five hours before your million-word essay is due. You’re welcome.
#2 Check your emails
My uni is ALL about sending a million emails to tell you about any changes to work you need to prepare.
As we know I failed to read them this week, and I had to make a show of shuffling through my ‘papers’ to try and ‘find the right ones’ until my tutor got bored and moved on. You know what’s easier than this? Checking your emails.
#3 Set a study time
In my experience, when you vaguely tell yourself you’re going to study at some point today, you end up watching viral crime shows instead.
Plan ahead and write down your allotted study time somewhere, to make it feel more official and harder to get out of.
#4 Set up a study area
On that note, get out of your bed. Right now, I see you. Not just because it helps you disconnect from ‘sleep time’, but because studies have found that you actually have better recall of facts when you’re in the same place you learned them originally.
How weird is the human brain? I love it.
#5 Get enough sleep
When you more or less have no choice but to stay home all day, every day, it’s so easy to stay up to the early hours binging some show.
Please stop, there’s all sorts of reasons your body needs a good sleep. Not least of all those is improved memory and concentration.
#6 Be sure to eat well
Am I the only one who seems to be slipping between not being hungry at all and inhaling an entire block of chocolate since social distancing started?
Don’t forget that a healthy diet boosts your brain and memory. I’ll start eating my five serves of veggies again if you do.
#7 Hold yourself accountable
In the end, having an online course makes it remarkably easy to get through your weeks by only doing the bare minimum.
The thing is, you’re the only one who’ll be hurt come exam time if that’s the path you take. If you don’t hold yourself accountable, no-one else will either.
(Lead Image: Pexels / bongkarn thanyakij)
