5 Tips For Getting The Most Out Of Your Online Education
The reality of 2020 has hit all of us in different ways. As a student, your studies have likely been disrupted in some way, shape or form - and more than likely you’ve been thrown into studying online, with face-to-face education severely depleted.
However, your education doesn’t need to suffer!
Although it might feel odd, studying online can still be incredibly effective, and there are plenty of things you can do to set yourself up for success. Much like working from home, studying from home requires a little discipline - but we’re here to help! Here are some tips for making the most of online studying.
Tip #1: Create a dedicated working space
Our brains are funny things. They like routine, and they like to know what’s happening around you at all times. If you’re trying to work from somewhere unusual, like your bed or a new coffee shop (back in the days when coffee shop study sessions were allowed!), your brain might get a little confused about what it is you’re supposed to be doing - often resulting in a whole lot of procrastination and not a lot of effective study-time.
The solution? Create a dedicated space for your studies.
Pick a spot where you commit to working from, and your brain will soon realise that when you sit down there, it’s time for work. It doesn’t have to be a fully-kitted-out home office - it can be the edge of a dining table or anywhere else you can find a comfortable set up. All that matters is that you commit to working only in that spot, so you can convince your brain that it’s time for work when you sit down there.
Tip #2: Dress for the occasion
We understand how tempting it is to make the most of being at home and stay in your pyjamas all day - but don’t!
As we’ve established, your brain is a fickle thing and relies on environmental cues to process the world around you. If you stay in your pyjamas all day, your brain will likely stay in relaxing or sleeping mode all day, which isn’t conducive to effective studying!
Many people who work from home will attest to the fact that there’s a definite shift in mindset when you get up, get dressed, and get ready for the day, even if your commute is just to the kitchen table, not the office. It’s important to get yourself in the right frame of mind before you sit down to study, and whether that means pretending to commute around the block or putting on your shoes to walk the three paces to your workstation, you need to find something that tricks your brain into study mode.
Tip #3: Get your body moving
This is an important point all the time, but is particularly important when you’re likely spending much more time indoors than you’re used to.
Your brain relies on your body’s ability to deliver it enough blood and oxygen to function properly - and the more you take care of your body, the easier it is for your brain to perform at its highest capacity.
There’s no need to sign up to an expensive gym membership, though. There are THOUSANDS of free workouts on YouTube you can do from your bedroom, without any equipment. Check out our previous post on the best apps for students in London for more information.
The important thing here is to implement some sort of movement into your daily routine. Whether it’s a walk around the block before you start your studying day, or a lunchtime run, or even a cycle to your favourite coffee shop across town, just for the sake of it.
Not only will it help your body to stay healthy, it’ll also give you a mental break from studying and some much-needed recuperation.
Tip #4: Pay attention
This seems obvious, but it’s worth repeating: you need to pay attention to your lectures, even when you’re studying from home!
There’s a huge difference between being in a lecture hall with a real-life person teaching you and sitting at your desk looking at your computer screen. When you’re at home, there are a lot more distractions - and no-one looking at you in judgement if you’re not paying attention!
It’s important to reduce the distractions around you as much as possible and to make sure you’re actively listening, rather than just sitting around with a lecture on in the background. Try wearing headphones if there’s noise around you, make sure you’ve closed everything else on your computer to eliminate unnecessary notifications and keep a notebook and pen nearby so you can note down what you’re listening to.
Tip #5: Keep a start and finish time
Until now, we’ve been focussing on keeping your relaxing time away from your study time - but it’s just as important to keep your study time away from your relaxing time. Having clear boundaries between studying and not studying will help you keep refreshed - and make it much easier to focus on studies when you do need to.
We suggest planning your week out in advance, blocking in time for scheduled lectures/study sessions and specifically setting start and finish times each day. This will make sure that you’re giving yourself enough time to relax and take care of yourself, rather than accidentally spending 20 hours a day studying.
Bonus tip: Keep in touch with family & friends
It’s more important than ever to keep in touch with other people. Thankfully, our community here at Beaumont House is supportive and tight-knit, so you have a support system to rely on during stressful times. But it’s also crucial to keep in touch with family and friends, even if you can’t see them in person at the moment. Schedule a weekly group call with your family, or even get everyone on Zoom for a pub-style quiz - whatever suits you, your family and friends most.
Whether you’re enjoying remote study or struggling, the team at Beaumont House are here to help! If you’ve got any questions or worries about how your education will be affected, let us know and we’ll help you find the answers.
