In just a week's time, an increasing part of our daily life has completely changed. Due to the outbreak of covid-19 we need to stay home as much as possible and avoid social contact in order to flatten the curve. These are crazy and uncertain times, and all we can do is stay positive and make the best out of it. To prevent boredom, staying productive is now more important than ever.
My name is Linde, I’m a third year Economics & Business Economics student. First off, I was worried that the corona crisis would delay my studies and that I might not be able to graduate this year, because of all the measures. Fortunately, the university handles the situation as good as they possibly can and all education activities are now available online. Normally I always find myself a spot on campus to study, because I tend to not be as productive at home. Since I’m probably not the only one struggling with having to study in my room all day, I’m going to share some tips that work for me in order to be more productive at home:
- The fact that I don’t have to be anywhere makes it very tempting to sleep in, but staying in bed will not help you to get work done! My first tip to be productive at home is to maintain a rhythm. Set an alarm, get out of bed and start of the day. Have breakfast, shower and get dressed.
- This last step is an important one and also my second tip. When you're at home all day, it's great to crawl behind your desk in your pajamas. I noticed that when I’m in my sleep attire all day, I stay in my lazy vibe. By putting on a proper outfit I change my mindset, it makes me feel like I’m actually ready to start of the day.
- My third tip would be to make a to-do list. Writing down on paper what you have to do gives a clear overview of all your work and makes it easier to divide the workload over the day or days. Since you have all the time of the world right now, I would recommend spreading your workload over several days. By studying a bit every day, you don’t have to stay focussed for a longer period of time. Also, there will be time left every day to do something fun, hang out with your roommates or read that book that’s been on your shelve for months.
In a nutshell, I'm trying to do everything at home that I would have done if was studying outside of my home. If you can, don’t lock yourself up and try to go outside. Besides rhythm, it’s important to take good care of yourself. Eat healthily, keep moving, and remain in a positive mental state!
For more tips and experiences about studying at home, check out the Erasmus School of Economics Instagram takeovers. Here, students share their experiences on a weekly basis.
