For years, students are used to learning in a classroom environment where teachers act as guides. They motivate them, guide them and support them throughout the academic years. But as online learning is getting popular these days. And, schools and colleges are closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, students from all across the globe are studying from their homes.
Not only is it a challenge for them to switch from a physical classroom environment to virtual classrooms, they need constant motivation to keep up with their studies at home. This is why we have come up with 7 easy yet effective ways to stay motivated while studying at home.
1. Remember your goals!
Setting some study goals is the first step that you must take. For instance, you might want to achieve good grades in finals, get admission in college, complete your degree or achieve a certificate. You may keep reminding yourself about it so that you do not lose track of ‘why’ you have to study everyday or follow a study routine. Having some goals will make you feel accountable for your actions and will give you a boost that you need while studying from home. Goals help enhance your focus as you will manage your time effectively and enable you to access motivation anytime you feel like giving up.
2. Break down your goals
Once you have set your end goals, the next step is to break them down into small manageable tasks. You may set monthly goals, weekly goals or daily goals that will altogether help you reach your final goal. This will ensure that you are motivated enough every day to study. “If you have to write a 2000-word article for your assignment, you can simply divide that task into writing 500 words every day or set separate days for research and drafting the structure”, says Mark, an essay help expert.
3. Create a suitable study space
The environment where you study plays an important role in boosting you up. If you are planning to study on your bed, you are likely to procrastinate or fall asleep after some time and all your goals will shatter. Therefore, designate a special study space in your room. Martha, a study expert at GoAssignmentHelp suggests to keep all your stationery around and make sure the place has no distractions like television. She also advises to keep that area well-lit so that it does not affect your eyesight. Also, one must keep their study space neat and clean otherwise, you might not want to sit and learn there.
4. Stick to a routine
Studying from home requires utmost discipline and dedication. But students often get lazy and procrastinate because they never set a study routine for themselves. Having a routine gives you an agenda every day and so you know how you have to utilise your time. So plan out your days accordingly, block your calendar and follow the schedule. It will not only make you feel accomplished at the end of the day, but slowly and steadily you’ll be able to reach your study goals. “You must not study straight for four hours as it could affect your memory. It is better to study in 90-minute blocks and then take a break for 15 minutes” says Olivia, an assignment help expert.
5. Take a break!
Studying at home does not mean that you have to be a book nerd and just immerse yourself around online classes, study notes and reading materials. You must keep some time everyday to rejuvenate. Pick up activities like aerobics, yoga, cycling, walking, listening to music, painting or any other hobby that makes you feel fresh. It has often been noticed that students who do not indulge in much physical activities are less motivated to study. Students must develop the habit of rewarding themselves after achieving a study goal or a milestone. For instance, one may take one day break after completing a 5000 word research paper.
6. Stay connected with friends
It doesn’t matter if you are at home, you need to keep your friendships going. It has been seen that when students cut themselves off from their friends or peers, they lack the motivation to study and miss out the competitive spirit. So, always keep a check on your friends, see how they are doing in studies and life otherwise and build up your friendship. You may schedule a weekly video call with your group or keep each other posted on social media or chat groups. You may even hold a virtual study session together where you can discuss what all you learned or solve each other’s assignment problems.
7. Watch out your screen time
Staying at home means increased study time. You are attending online classes, watching video-based lessons or surfing the internet for information. The rest of the time, you might either be watching TV, chatting on phone, swiping through social media or watching Netflix. All this adds up to your screen time and it may not be very good for your eyes. So try and keep a check on how much time you spend online every day. “There are some alternatives that students can try such as listening to podcasts, making handwritten notes rather than writing on computer, reading books, or taking printouts of your notes and reading them. One might also use a print dictionary rather than checking a meaning on Google every time,” says Ron, a professional writer.
There can be plenty of other ways of staying motivated while studying at home. These were just the seven of them that we find easy to follow. You might also want to alter your study approaches and see what makes you the most productive. For instance, many students dedicate one day for one subject while others study different subjects for short intervals of time every day. Such approaches not only make learning fun but also keeps them motivated.
