With quarantine and stay-at-home orders due to COVID-19, we have all had to engage in remote learning away from campus and in our homes. I don’t know about you guys, but Netflix, pillows, and gaming platforms in my house have been calling my name. With such distractions, whether it be technology, family, or just the inconvenience of being at home for some, it can be difficult to stay on track and to make the most of your time. For many, we have never quite experienced a time like this while enrolled in college courses. I had lenient professors last semester and I did not have to attend class meetings like I did when I was on campus - allowing for more procrastination. Although it took some time to get used to, I believe I’ve found a few ways to be productive from home.
Dedicate an area of your home to school if possible
By dedicating a certain area of your house to school, you are less likely to get distracted by what is around you, and you are able to maintain school-life and home-life separate. Try to get a nice little set up going on a desk with good lightning, pens and pencils, paper, and anything else you deem essential for school. Perhaps keep an item to fidget with or something small to mess around with, but nothing too big that will distract you.
Plan your day using a planner
I love using templates from Day Designer to plan out my days on my iPad. This way, you not only know what you have to do, but you are able to schedule your activities and cross them out as you go along. Try to start early in the morning and end not too late in order to get good sleep. Check out the following link to find a template you like: https://daydesigner.com/collections/printable-library
Find a study buddy
Oftentimes, we are more motivated to get work done if we have an encouraging force, such as a study buddy. This could be a friend or a classmate, but make sure you are both serious about completing work in a timely fashion to avoid distracting one another. Put aside time to meet over Zoom or other platforms to make sure you are maintaining social distance.
Find a new hobby
Since being at home, I finally have the chance to learn something new, whether it’s something that will help me grow personally or for my career. I have started taking a computer science class online from HarvardX to begin learning how to code, and you can find classes like these and many more on https://www.edx.org/course. Check out sites like Pinterest or Youtube for inspiration on what other people are doing and discover something new you could be interested in.
Go outside and take breaks
After being cooped up for a long time, sometimes all your mind and body needs is a trip outdoors. Find a way to get outside that adheres to your county’s quarantine orders and enjoy meditation, exercise, reading, or just listening to music. Create a music playlist that helps you relax whether you are inside the home or outside, to ensure your mind is getting the breaks it needs.
Put down your phone
If you are engaging in an activity that requires a lot of attention, put down your phone until specified break times. This way you are not distracted and the activity does not take you longer than it has to. Forest is an app ($1.99) that helps you stay focused by planting trees for each study session you have. If you would like a free version, Flora is a great option and it works the same way. Challenge yourself to build a beautiful garden by studying and focusing!
If you have tried all of these tips and are still looking for ways to do more with your time, make sure to check out other blog posts or leave a comment to let me know you’d like more. I hope this helps you all have a productive time at home and as always, the comments are open for feedback!
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