As with everything in the world right now, student learning has been turned completely upside down. As we are now well into September many students at schools and colleges have already returned and University learning is set to resume throughout the month across the UK. With this topsy-turvy way of learning becoming a new reality for many students throughout the country, it’s important to take time to reflect on the things you can do to make studying as beneficial as possible for you.

Many of us are sick of hearing the phrase ‘the new normal’ so this article will try to avoid it as much as humanly possible. Instead, we are going to break away from all the talk about how unusual everything is and look at our Top 5 Suggestions on how you can make the most of your time studying in new environments. After talking with various lecturers at universities in Manchester and beyond it seems that most institutions are going for a hybrid approach to teaching which involves some classroom time balanced with online/home learning. This approach is a middle ground for many of these institutions that still allows them to have some facetime with their students whilst also minimising the risks involved.

 

• Have a Routine

With a mix of home and classroom learning, it has never been more important to have a set routine. This can help you adjust to the unfamiliar challenges many students are encountering with home learning. We suggest that students follow some of the following points to ensure they can deal with anything that comes their way:

• Create a timetable – plan in a structure for your learning at home the same way you would have a timetable for attending a classroom.
• Plan in time for exercise – One of the things many students will miss out on is simply the exercise gained from heading to and from classes. At the very least make sure you stretch out and perhaps go for a walk before sitting at your desk for prolonged periods of time.
• Take a break- it’s easy to get your head down and not look up when you are studying and working from home. When you are in a classroom environment your longest class is likely to be 2 hours, make sure to give your self regular breaks to recharge and help you focus.

 

• Make Space & Clear Clutter

Making space for yourself can make a huge impact on your ability to study and learn in a clear and positive environment. Even away from your studies clearing through your belongings and decluttering your house can have hugely beneficial effects on your mental health. Taking control of an aspect of your life such as decluttering and cleaning can help many people regain a sense of control in their lives in a time of uncertainty. Some of the ways we’d advise decluttering include:

• The 6 Month Rule – This one is simple if you haven’t used something in the last 6 months and it doesn’t hold sentimental value then get rid.
• Use Self Storage- Using a company such as Storage Manchester can give you somewhere to place your belongings without having to throw them away.
• Invest in extra home storage – This could be the perfect opportunity to get some smart storage solutions for your home such as new shelving units, under bed storage or storage chests. Places like Ikea and Amazon are ideal for picking up a bargain and helping you to organise your home.

 

• Dedicated Study Space

Carving out your own little space to call your own can be difficult when studying from home. As many people will now be discovering when working and studying from home there is a strange blend of professional and personal life that can lead to distractions and procrastination. It’s super important for any student working from home to set aside a small space they can use for studying. This doesn’t need to be a traditional study space and can include some of the following:

• Out Of Home Storage – Some places offer an ideal environment for studying outside the home whilst maintain social distancing. There are even Self Storage Units in Manchester that can provide a quiet secure unit to double up as study space.
• A Standard Desk – This one is the obvious answer to home studies but not everyone has the space or budget to get a study desk.
• Dining Room Table – This is a great way to have dedicated study space and in many homes, a dining room table goes unused throughout the day so can be repurposed as a study desk.
• Breakfast Bar – You may have a house that struggles for space so take advantage of design features meant to double up on space, if you don’t have a traditional dining area them grab a stool and get to work on a breakfast bar or worktop.

 

• Keep The Human Connection

Keeping the human connection whilst working and studying from home is beyond important not only for our development but for our mental health as well. It’s not until it’s been taken away from us that many of us are starting to value the face to face connection of learning from and having conversations with other human beings. Making sure you still get some element of this whilst studying from home is very important. Some of the ways you can maintain that connection include:

• Regular Zoom Calls – Many of you will be familiar with Zoom or similar platforms such as Microsoft Teams. These are great for keeping in touch with people and not only for learning. Where you would traditionally finish a class then hang out with your classmates you can now take online and strike up a Zoom call with your friends after a webinar.
• Facetime & Video Calls – Don’t forget to keep in contact with your friends and family around your studies. Platforms such as Facetime or Messenger video calls can be a great way to catch up with people one on one or in small groups.
• Don’t be afraid to make the first move – This sounds like dating advice but in reality, it’s just the foundation for nurturing meaningful connections with people. As people become more physically isolated they can become closed off. If you haven’t heard from a friend in a little while then don’t be afraid to drop them a message or a call and check in on them.

 

• Have a Work/Life Balance

The line between work, study and personal life become even more blurred when you are studying from home. It’s beyond important to draw the line somewhere to ensure you keep in a healthy state of mind and don’t burn yourself out when studying. Ensuring an even work/life balance isn’t always as easy as it sounds, in your home you will naturally be more relaxed so the temptation to just carry on with work in a calming environment can be strong. Here are some of our tips on how to maintain a good work/life balance:

• Routine – This was our first point in this article but just to reemphasise, having set times to study and set times to relax will instantly improve your studying to personal life ratio.
• Dedicated Space –Again, another one of our points, if you have a dedicated space purely for studying then it becomes easier to leave that place and stop studying.
• De-Clutter Your Study Space – As mentioned above, decluttering is hugely positive for your mental health but it can also help remove personal distractions from your study space and keep you focused.
• The Human Connection – Connecting with humans doesn’t have to be an exercise that is purely maintained online. Make sure you free up time to see your friends or family that you live with. Having some genuine face to face time with the people you care and love for will help ensure your personal life thrives.

 

The Final Exam….

If you follow the points in this article then you will be ready for the final exam. The final exam and the biggest test many students will be facing this year will be adopting to a new and challenging environment. By following the points set out in this article you can help ensure that your education doesn’t suffer from these changes in circumstances whilst also ensuring that your mental health and relationships are maintained.

Many of us are sick of hearing the phrase ‘the new normal’ so this article will try to avoid it as much as humanly possible. Instead, we are going to break away from all the talk about how unusual everything is and look at our Top 5 Suggestions on how you can make the most of your time studying in new environments. After talking with various lecturers at universities in Manchester and beyond it seems that most institutions are going for a hybrid approach to teaching which involves some classroom time balanced with online/home learning. This approach is a middle ground for many of these institutions that still allows them to have some facetime with their students whilst also minimising the risks involved.

 

• Have a Routine

With a mix of home and classroom learning, it has never been more important to have a set routine. This can help you adjust to the unfamiliar challenges many students are encountering with home learning. We suggest that students follow some of the following points to ensure they can deal with anything that comes their way:

• Create a timetable – plan in a structure for your learning at home the same way you would have a timetable for attending a classroom.
• Plan in time for exercise – One of the things many students will miss out on is simply the exercise gained from heading to and from classes. At the very least make sure you stretch out and perhaps go for a walk before sitting at your desk for prolonged periods of time.
• Take a break- it’s easy to get your head down and not look up when you are studying and working from home. When you are in a classroom environment your longest class is likely to be 2 hours, make sure to give your self regular breaks to recharge and help you focus.

 

• Make Space & Clear Clutter

Making space for yourself can make a huge impact on your ability to study and learn in a clear and positive environment. Even away from your studies clearing through your belongings and decluttering your house can have hugely beneficial effects on your mental health. Taking control of an aspect of your life such as decluttering and cleaning can help many people regain a sense of control in their lives in a time of uncertainty. Some of the ways we’d advise decluttering include:

• The 6 Month Rule – This one is simple if you haven’t used something in the last 6 months and it doesn’t hold sentimental value then get rid.
• Use Self Storage- Using a company such as Storage Manchester can give you somewhere to place your belongings without having to throw them away.
• Invest in extra home storage – This could be the perfect opportunity to get some smart storage solutions for your home such as new shelving units, under bed storage or storage chests. Places like Ikea and Amazon are ideal for picking up a bargain and helping you to organise your home.

 

• Dedicated Study Space

Carving out your own little space to call your own can be difficult when studying from home. As many people will now be discovering when working and studying from home there is a strange blend of professional and personal life that can lead to distractions and procrastination. It’s super important for any student working from home to set aside a small space they can use for studying. This doesn’t need to be a traditional study space and can include some of the following:

• Out Of Home Storage – Some places offer an ideal environment for studying outside the home whilst maintain social distancing. There are even Self Storage Units in Manchester that can provide a quiet secure unit to double up as study space.
• A Standard Desk – This one is the obvious answer to home studies but not everyone has the space or budget to get a study desk.
• Dining Room Table – This is a great way to have dedicated study space and in many homes, a dining room table goes unused throughout the day so can be repurposed as a study desk.
• Breakfast Bar – You may have a house that struggles for space so take advantage of design features meant to double up on space, if you don’t have a traditional dining area them grab a stool and get to work on a breakfast bar or worktop.

 

• Keep The Human Connection

Keeping the human connection whilst working and studying from home is beyond important not only for our development but for our mental health as well. It’s not until it’s been taken away from us that many of us are starting to value the face to face connection of learning from and having conversations with other human beings. Making sure you still get some element of this whilst studying from home is very important. Some of the ways you can maintain that connection include:

• Regular Zoom Calls – Many of you will be familiar with Zoom or similar platforms such as Microsoft Teams. These are great for keeping in touch with people and not only for learning. Where you would traditionally finish a class then hang out with your classmates you can now take online and strike up a Zoom call with your friends after a webinar.
• Facetime & Video Calls – Don’t forget to keep in contact with your friends and family around your studies. Platforms such as Facetime or Messenger video calls can be a great way to catch up with people one on one or in small groups.
• Don’t be afraid to make the first move – This sounds like dating advice but in reality, it’s just the foundation for nurturing meaningful connections with people. As people become more physically isolated they can become closed off. If you haven’t heard from a friend in a little while then don’t be afraid to drop them a message or a call and check in on them.

 

• Have a Work/Life Balance

The line between work, study and personal life become even more blurred when you are studying from home. It’s beyond important to draw the line somewhere to ensure you keep in a healthy state of mind and don’t burn yourself out when studying. Ensuring an even work/life balance isn’t always as easy as it sounds, in your home you will naturally be more relaxed so the temptation to just carry on with work in a calming environment can be strong. Here are some of our tips on how to maintain a good work/life balance:

• Routine – This was our first point in this article but just to reemphasise, having set times to study and set times to relax will instantly improve your studying to personal life ratio.
• Dedicated Space –Again, another one of our points, if you have a dedicated space purely for studying then it becomes easier to leave that place and stop studying.
• De-Clutter Your Study Space – As mentioned above, decluttering is hugely positive for your mental health but it can also help remove personal distractions from your study space and keep you focused.
• The Human Connection – Connecting with humans doesn’t have to be an exercise that is purely maintained online. Make sure you free up time to see your friends or family that you live with. Having some genuine face to face time with the people you care and love for will help ensure your personal life thrives.

 

The Final Exam….

If you follow the points in this article then you will be ready for the final exam. The final exam and the biggest test many students will be facing this year will be adopting to a new and challenging environment. By following the points set out in this article you can help ensure that your education doesn’t suffer from these changes in circumstances whilst also ensuring that your mental health and relationships are maintained.