The lines between work and leisure time in the new lockdown realm of study-from-home are becoming increasingly blurred and distorted. And finding the motivation to effectively focus on studies is becoming scarce for students in a distracted study-at-home environment.
Where self-study is the new school/university normal that students quickly need to get used to, it is a challenge to balance work, study, and recreation in these uncertain times. So here are some smart self-study tips that will help you focus and build a disciplined school routine with a strong resolve to get into that home-study habit during the lockdown.
Let’s dive in!
A study plan will help you keep your schoolwork on track with a set schedule during lockdown, where we’re all at a little too much liberty to procrastinate our work. Start by organizing your study space and make a study plan to cover important topics in different subject groups. Keep your schedule realistic and leave some room for planning and last minute adjustments, so you still have time to catch up with your schedule if a task takes longer than expected or you decide to spend a long Christmas weekend at your cousin’s. Make sure you are always in sight of your schedule pasted on the wall or with set reminders on your phone so that you’re always aware of your progress.
When it comes down to actually studying, it takes much conscious effort to not give into that sudden urge to check your phone or get distracted by social media. Identify these distractions that hinder your concentration while doing deep work and space them out before you sit down to study. Put your phone on silent and keep it at the other end of the room to force yourself to only use it in between your study breaks. Make a distraction list and right down the distracting thoughts that pop up in your mind and make a point to only get to it when you’re done with your studies.
Every student has a different way of studying that helps them learn faster and effectively grasp new concepts to retain more information. Some learning techniques like taking notes, using a mnemonic device to memorize, taking sleep breaks and studying with a TV on or songs playing in the background are proven to help children learn faster. It’s important to recognize your unique learning pattern and work your way towards building a productive self-study routine that motivates you to get more done in lesser time. At SNIS Boarding School in Bangalore, we deliver an inquiry-based curriculum through interactive teaching methods that help students recognize their learning potential and develop critical thinking skills.
More often than not, stuffing your study schedule with tight daily goals can leave less room for daily adjustments in time and priorities. Realistically, we take more time to cover lengthy topics, understand new concepts and do our own research in self-study sessions. Setting weekly goals to complete different subject topics is a much more forgiving practice that will help you make time to catch up on things before the week ends, maybe on the weekends. Self-evaluate your progress as you move on to the next week to track how far you’ve come in your learning journey and keep yourself motivated to achieve those goals. Equipping students with key disciplinary and self-assessment skills, at SNIS Boarding School in Bangalore we encourage our students to be mindful of their school journey and reflect on their progress at every phase of learning.