Do you ever experience burnout from school? Are you bored and easily distracted during your Zoom classes? Do assignments, quizzes, or exam deadlines ever creep up on you out of nowhere? As most of us are at home and attending school online, we are more likely to find ourselves spacing out, getting distracted, or feeling bored. Here are three tips to help you effectively study and work while at home!
1. Take breaks and pace yourself!
It’s important to step away from your workspace and relax your mind. A great app to help structure your study and break time is Pomodoro! Pomodoro allows you to manage your time by breaking down your work into intervals. For example, you can work for 25 minutes and then take five-minute breaks. During breaks, try to stay energized and motivated by stepping away from your phone and other devices!
Productive things you can do during your breaks:
- Meditate
- Take a walk outside
- Stretch
- Get a snack
Studying with someone is also a good way to stay on track! If you’re unable to study with someone in person, a great alternative would be to look up “real-time study with me” on YouTube. A YouTuber I recommend checking out is elloitsangela. Since Angela incorporates Pomodoro methods in her videos, studying while playing the video will hold you accountable, as it makes you feel like you are actually working with someone.
2. Create a weekly schedule!
Using a planner and creating a schedule will allow you to visually see what assignments you have to complete for the week and how you can space out your work to avoid additional stress. It is also a rewarding feeling to be able to physically cross things off as you complete your tasks!
Ways to keep track of your school schedule:
- Review your syllabus – Sometimes, teachers may have a class schedule on the syllabus with all of the course’s assignments and deadlines listed. Make sure to write all of these deadlines down ahead of time so you keep track of what is due each week and any upcoming deadlines or exams.
- Download the school’s portal app – Check your school portal frequently to stay up to date on Zoom class dates, assignments and deadlines.
- Make pre-deadlines – Set a “pre-deadline” two days prior to your actual deadline to get ahead of your work and avoid procrastinating until the night before the assignment is due. For example, if something is due on Friday, you can write down a pre-deadline for Wednesday.
3. Maintain an effective workspace!
A cluttered and messy space can be a very overwhelming and unmotivating environment for getting your work done. It is best to eliminate any possible distractions by studying in a clean and quiet workspace, away from your bed. Our beds and bedrooms are spaces that we often associate with comfort, relaxation and sleep. We are also more likely to feel tired or lazy if we are working on our beds. By creating an effective study space, you are enabling yourself to be more productive and focused!
Best places to work effectively:
- A clean desk space
- A library/study room
- Quiet outdoors spaces, including a backyard or a nearby park
Try out any of these tips? Share your favorites with us by tagging us @HerCampusSJSU on Instagram or Twitter! Happy studying!