Studying at home requires self-discipline, organisation and effective time management strategies. Follow our study advice tips to make the most of your study time at home.
Make sure you have somewhere dedicated to study. Set up your desk and keep your device, books, paper and stationery to hand. Try to keep the space separate from where you relax, even if it is just a corner in your bedroom.
At the end of the day, leave it tidy so it is more inviting to return to the next day. It is also helpful at the end of a study period to jot down what you planned to do next. This will save you time when you return to study, ensuring you can quickly pick up where you left off.
It’s important to know what you hope to achieve each week – especially if you are working on a project like a dissertation or revising for exams. Goals help to ensure we stay on track but also help to motivate us to keep going and give us that all important sense of achievement.
Work backwards from your deadlines to determine where you want to be at the end of each week. If you have a shorter deadline (like an assignment to write in a week), set yourself some daily goals instead.
During these times it’s important that you continue to connect with others. Keep in touch with peers and keep each other motivated. Arrange daily catch ups, virtual coffee chats or perhaps some revision groups, where you can test each other’s understanding. Do share your study goals with each other too, as you are more likely to strive to meet them once you’ve declared them.
Click here to read more about work with others.
Give yourself enough time to sleep (7-9 hours).
You need 7-9 hours of sleep each night, so make time for it, just like you make time for eating, exercising, and socializing.
Track your sleep to see if you’re getting enough.
Keep a sleep diary, or use an app to get a sense of how much sleep you’re actually getting.
Keep your bedroom cool.
The best temperature for sleep is somewhere between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius, so turn down the temperature until you’re comfortably cool.
Don’t use your bed for work or eating.
Though it’s tempting, don’t use your bed when you’re watching TV, eating, or doing work. Your brain should associate your bed with sleep.
Keep a consistent sleep schedule, even on the weekend.
Improve your sleep by going to bed and waking up at the same time each day...even on weekends! If you have trouble remembering to go to bed, set an alarm on your phone to tell you when it’s time to sleep.
Take power naps if needed, but don’t sleep too long.
Restrict your naps to 10-30 minutes in length. Anything longer can leave you feeling groggy, and may disrupt your regular sleep schedule.
Exercise regularly to get a good night’s sleep.
Just 10-20 minutes of regular, daily aerobic exercise can improve the quality and quantity of your sleep.
Use sleep strategies.
Try sleep strategies like progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, and the cognitive shuffle when you can’t sleep.
If you can’t fall asleep, do something relaxing and try again later.
Don’t force sleep. The stress of not sleeping can keep you awake. If you’re still awake after 20 minutes, get out of bed and do something relaxing.
When we are anxious or threatened, our breathing speeds up in order to get our body ready for danger. You could practice belly breathing regularly. Another tips are:
Breathe.
Calming breaths from the belly can help calm the feeling of anxiety.
Think about the present moment.
Avoid getting too caught up in thinking of the past or the future.
Think of solutions.
Dealing with practical problems, such as assignment overload, can help with emotional problems such as anxiety.
Ask for help.
Asking for help when you need it is important and useful when trying to solve problems.
Focus on the present.
Don’t anticipate future feelings at the expense of acknowledging how you feel right now.
Notice your experience.
Be aware of your thoughts and feelings in the moment.
Avoid distractions.
When practicing mindfulness, it can be helpful to sit somewhere without a lot of sounds.
Time management strategies allow you to plan out your time so that you can get things done and have a more balanced, less stressful life.
Use your time wisely.
There are 168 hours in a week. Use idle time to complete smaller tasks. This will free up time for the big things.
Devote more time to important assignments.
Be prepared to invest an average of 2 solid hours for every 5% an assignment is worth.
Prioritize your assignments.
Be prepared to invest an average of 2 solid hours for every 5% an assignment is worth.
Start planning your time early in the semester.
The earlier you start managing your time, the easier it is. Get into good habits early so you don’t fall behind.
Create a semester plan.
Write down your deadlines for the semester so that they don’t catch you by surprise.
Plan out your week.
Create a weekly schedule and use it every day.
Give yourself enough time.
Budget at least 1 hour of homework for every hour of class time.
Prioritize your tasks.
Make a task like and do the most important and urgent things first.
Develop an assignment tracker.
Plan how you will complete your assignments by breaking big tasks down into manageable steps.
Start early.
Don’t get sucked into the procrastination trap. Give yourself enough time to complete your assignment properly.
Plan some down time.
Make sure to include time for fun or relaxing into your schedule every day.
