Tips for Studying from Home

The University of Washington has transitioned from in-person classes to online classes due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Studying from home can be challenging – you may find yourself easily distracted by your pet, family members, the fridge, the TV, roommates, and your bed. Tech problems or limited access to equipment might also create a barrier to effective online learning. For a number of reasons, you might just find yourself not as motivated or productive. Some of you may also struggle with anxiety related to COVID-19 while also facing academic stress. Studying from home will require stronger willpower than usual to stay focused and adapting those tried and true strategies in this new learning environment.

To make this difficult adjustment a bit more manageable, we’ve included some tips below for distance learning.

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Establish a Routine

Treat your study from home as if you are going to the library/classes. Set a time to wake up, freshen up, eat breakfast, and get dressed. Having an established routine can provide structure for your life and signal your brain “it is time to get work done”.

Have a Dedicated Study Area

Creating a physical boundary between your study area and your relaxation area could be very helpful to stay focused when studying from home. This can also help you to contain your academic stress to the study space.

Take Notes for Online Classes

It is important to put your phone away, turn off notifications from messages and social media on your computer, and close irrelevant webpages to minimize distraction. Taking notes during the online classes can also keep your hands busy and help to turn your attention to the class content.

Keep a Routine for Physical Activity 

Set break times for your study session (i.e. every 45 minutes) to get up, move around, and activate different parts of your brain. You can stretch, do a set of jumping jacks, walk around the room, and take a look at the view outside the window.

Don’t Forget Your Social Time

Build in some social time during your day can motivate you to stay focused when studying. You can set a time when you are less productive to reach out to friends and family. You can connect with them either through phone calls or video chatting.

Create a Study Plan and Share It with Others 

Write down what you need to accomplish in the next 3 days, and break them down into small tasks to complete in each day. Break down a big task into smaller chunks can make things less overwhelming and help you to get more motivated in getting them done! You can also share your study plan with your friends (study buddies!) to keep yourself accountable.

Eat Well, Sleep Well

Select healthy snacks when you study, and prepare lunches that will not put you to sleep afterwards. Having at least 7-8 hours of sleep at night is the best way to help you wake up feeling refreshed and ready to start your study during the day.

Avoid Multitasking

You can designate your less productive time of the day to attend to chores. Set your schedule in a way that you can focus on one thing at a time (i.e. studying, chores, relaxing, exercising) and know that you will have designated time later for other things on your to-do list.