How To Self Study During the Coronavirus Quarantine Part 2

While the world reels under this COVID-19 outbreak, schools and universities across the world are among the various institutes that need to be shut down. For students, that either means a long, indefinite vacation, or a pile of assignments and self study portions. As we have seen in our previous article, How To Self Study During the Coronavirus Quarantine, studying on your own during this time of social distancing can be challenging, and thus, some changes are required to adapt to these times of social distancing.

Many schools and universities are also increasingly moving towards online classes, but for someone who has always been used to offline classes, such a sudden change may prove to be counterproductive. There are always many more distractions when you’re at home than in a proper classroom, where you have other classmates and even a teacher physically in front of you to force you to stay focused. 

As difficult as studying from home can be, especially when you’re away from the serious environment of your classroom and library, it isn’t impossible. Here are some tips to help you get through this self study process and make the best of your quarantine time:

1. Set up a separate study space. Choose a comfortable and neat part of your room or house where you can sit and study undisturbed for a long period of time. Set it up in a way that would help you avoid distractions and keep you serious and focused on your work. You can decorate it a little if that would help you feel better about studying, but what’s important is to keep it clean and organized so that you don’t feel cluttered there. Comfort is important, but try to avoid sitting on your couch or your bed to study so that you do not get too lazy or sleepy while studying.
2. Make a timetable. Time tables are really effective in keeping you active and consistent in your work. They help you manage all of your chores and activities as well as dedicate a healthy amount of time for yourself. Having an organized timetable can help you work more productively and finish your tasks more efficiently than you would have otherwise. 
3. Maintain a healthy eating and sleeping pattern. Staying at home for too long can often also make you lazy, especially when you begin to give yourself free room to relax at meal times or mess up your sleep schedule. To avoid this, regularly eat a healthy breakfast, dinner, and lunch, and sleep at the right time. Avoid sleeping or eating between meals just because you’re bored. Instead, do something productive like read and exercise or even watch a movie or play a game. 
4. Give yourself breaks between studying. Don’t study for long stretches at a time with no breaks in between. This may seem satisfying at first, but it isn’t very effective in the long run because you could easily start losing interest after the first few days. Keep your study schedule consistent by doing a little every day and by giving yourself enough breaks to exercise, eat, sleep, and just relax for a bit.
5. Talk to your classmates or your professors. When you have any questions or if you’re having difficulties with a certain chapter, try contacting your professor for help if you can. Send them an email or a text or call your friends to ask for advice and tips. Motivating each other through such times is very important when you’re going through social isolation. 
6. Cut down time on social media. While scrolling through instagram or snapchat once in a while is okay when you want to stay in touch with friends and family, try not to overdo it. This is something many of us struggle with when we’re forced to stay at home. As tempting as it is when you’re really bored, it is also extremely unproductive and a waste of time. So if you don’t need your phone at the moment, put it aside and focus on studying. 
7. Make your own study notes. While making notes in class is great when you can, now that you’re studying by yourself most of the time, make notes from your textbook. Write down important points and highlight essential keywords so that your revision is easier too.       

Remember that as challenging as it may seem to stay productive despite the many distractions around you, it is really worth it in the end. Make the best use of these days in isolation and finish as much of your coursework as you can. Use this free time to the best of your ability because you never know when you’ll get this opportunity again.