Being stuck inside during lockdown presents a number of challenges for students who are partway through a college course. Not everyone is used to having to do most or all of their studying while they are stuck at home, but this is now normal for students across the board. Here are some studying tips for any students finding it difficult to maintain their focus under lockdown.
Maintain Good Health
Maintaining good health is vital when you are studying, as it helps you to keep your head in the game. Here are some tips to follow:
– Don’t let your diet slip: Lots of people underestimate the relationship between diet and their mental agility. However, as multiple studies have reaffirmed, if you are malnourished and don’t have a well-rounded diet, you will suffer cognitive defects as a result. Maintaining a healthy diet during lockdown is essential if you want to be able to study to the best of your ability. Maintaining a healthy all-round diet doesn’t have to be difficult; for most people, just making sure that you are adding some fruit and veg to your meals will be enough. However, if you let lockdown become an excuse for allowing your dietary standards to slip, you are going to find it harder to focus and study properly.
– Make sure you get enough sleep: A lack of sleep is another common issue that causes problems with focus and concentration, making efficient studying all but impossible. Your sleep schedule is also something that you can control relatively easily, like your diet. A healthy sleep schedule starts with your sleeping environment. You need to give yourself a suitable sleeping environment where you will be free of noise and light pollution that is likely to keep you awake. Once you have a suitable sleeping environment set up, you should find it easy to maintain a consistent sleep schedule.
– Exercise as much as you can: Getting enough exercise is more difficult under lockdown conditions, but it is still possible for people that are truly determined. You can still take an hour or two outside your house every day, and this is more than enough time to get the exercise that you need to maintain health and focus. There are also plenty of indoor exercises that you can do during lockdown. As with your sleep and diet, if you aren’t getting regular exercise, you are going to find yourself feeling restless and unfocused.
Get into Good Study Habits
As well as ensuring your diet, exercise, and sleep habits are in check, you will need to make sure you develop good study habits. Here are some things you can do:
– Set yourself a study schedule: Setting yourself a formal study schedule is a very effective tool for ensuring that you are keeping up with all of your academic obligations. Of course, if you aren’t able to stick to your schedule, it isn’t going to be much use to you, so ensure that you set a realistic schedule that you will actually be able to adhere to.
– Create a dedicated study space: Having a dedicated studying space where you know that you can focus without being disturbed is essential if you want to achieve your best academically. If you don’t currently have a dedicated area set aside in your home, you should make it a priority to put one together. This doesn’t have to be a very involved process; you just need a desk, chair, and access to the resources you need to study.
Researching Remotely
If you are one of the growing numbers of students who have chosen to study for their university degree online, then it is even more important than usual that you are able to research independently. Needless to say, there are plenty of online resources available for anyone who needs to research remotely, regardless of the type of course you are studying. The difficult part is knowing where to begin your search. Here are some tips:
– Use YouTube to find lectures and other guides: YouTube is a goldmine for lectures and educational videos covering just about any subject you could possibly think of. Whether you are studying a masters in applied statistics online or an MBA degree, there are bound to be YouTube videos covering every key topic your course involves.
– Download digital textbooks: Digital open-source textbooks are free resources that every student can benefit from. Most colleges will recommend or require students to buy specific textbooks to complete their course, but having other sources to draw from can be invaluable. Sometimes the recommended textbook just isn’t for you. If this is the case, you can easily track down your own digital alternatives.
Once you have developed good studying habits, it becomes much easier to stay on top of your academic commitments. Stick to the advice above and you will have developed good habits in no time.
