Studying during a pandemic

As we come into week 4 of a blended learning approach, I thought I’d share what I’ve been doing and some tips that you could try.

Tip #1 – pick a time

For me, trying to stimulate normal university life is something that has worked. I try and get up early in the morning (with the occasional lie in until 2pm – but this is ok!). Usually, I wake up around 9am and I start studying at 10am. I take regular breaks in between and stop studying at around 6pm. This then gives me the rest of my evening to socialise with my flatmates or take part in any society events.

Tip #2 – plan

It is easy to merge your studies with your normal life when you are spending most of your time at home. I think this is why it is important to plan what you want to achieve in the day. Make sure you are realistic but also remember it is ok to not tick everything off. I personally like writing the list down because the satisfaction I get when I tick each activity off and move onto the next.

I must admit planning isn’t as easy as it sounds though. As I’m sure a lot of you can relate, sometimes I’m just not in the mood to study for a particular module but that’s completely fine. If you have an idea of what you want to achieve in the week then you can move things around so that you are not forcing yourself to study something that you do not want to. It might be worth creating a weekly to do list and then picking tasks from it each morning.

Tip #3 – relax

Remember, just because studying is online doesn’t mean that you should spend most of your time doing it. Make sure you take time out to enjoy yourself. You may not be able to do this in the conventional way, but a lot of societies have taken a lot of time out to plan different virtual socials which can be a great way to meet new people.

Don’t forget to ask for help if you need it. The current circumstances affect everyone differently. There is support out there, whether this is your resident tutor, your housemates or the wellbeing service.