How to Survive Studying at Home | Student Life

The circuit breaker was extended, which means many of us are still working from home for the next month. While I'm ending the semester, many have started their semester (shoutout to the poly kids). My school started having online classes late February and it subsequently became full-time online in April. I guess it's pretty fair to say that I've been at home for quite some time and I've been doing my best to be productive since finals are coming up. 

You've probably read numerous articles about tips to stay productive while working from home. These are what worked for me: 

Tip #1: Have a routine

I still stick to a routine everyday. Usually, by 9 am, I'm out of bed. This depends on my classes for the day - some days I have morning classes and on other days, I don't. 

For most mornings, I get ready some breakfast and start my daily quiet time (devotions). I make sure that by 11 am I'm ready to start work and try my best to finish my daily goals by dinnertime. After I'm done with my assignments, my night routine is my designated rest time. 

It's easy to fall into the trap of binging Netflix or YouTube videos for hours and hours. But, if you're like me, you know you're just gonna end up feeling like shit. So stick to a routine and treat it as if you're actually going to school or work. And yes, if you have a class in the morning, don't get up 5 minutes before the lesson. You know you're not gonna be mentally awake and you'll just end up wasting the session. Personally, whenever I have a class in the morning, I'd make sure that I'm awake at least an hour beforehand. 

Tip #2: Make a checklist every day

This really helped me. At the start of the week, I make sure to plan my week. I make a checklist of the assignments I have to work on, revisions I have to do and online meetings that I have. This helps me balance out the time I spend revising or working on an assignment for a particular module/subject. I love checking off the boxes everyday, and it makes me feel extra productive looking at what I've finished for the day.

I didn't take the time to make my checklist super duper fancy, just cause I get lazy after awhile. And yes, I prefer writing out my to-do list rather than keeping a digital planner.  Digital planners don't work for me because I get super distracted once I unlock my phone. 

Tip #3: Skype with friends - but stay on mute. 

I do this with my best friend most days of the week. We mute each other while we do our work. But, if you're the type of person who gets distracted easily by your friend's presence, this tip probably isn't for you. Apart from doing some work, I Skype with my friends just to catch up. 

Tip #4: Take breaks. Make your weekends free. 

The one thing I hate about working from home is that there seems to be no boundary between work-time and personal time. This happened for me during the first few weeks of online classes. But, it is important to draw that line. There's nothing wrong with taking a break (unless, of course, you've been procrastinating the whole week LOL). 

I like to take my breaks on Fridays and Sundays. These are the days I spend more time on my devotionals, learn some new songs and just do random things I feel like doing (such as being trapped in Tik Tok whoops). But hey, it's really up to you to decide when and how you take a break. 

But overall, one useful thing that I've learned: Don't do try to achieve too much. You'll definitely feel a burn out like I did. Take some time off. 

Tip #5: Use a water bottle 

This is probably a really random tip, but it's one of the best habits I've picked up during this stay home season. If you're someone who forgets to drink up, use a bottle at home. 

I don't know about you, but I love drinking water. I found out that I drink a minimum of three 1000ml bottles daily. Using my bottle at home makes it much more convenient and easier, compared to constantly getting up to refill my glass.

That's my list of tips to survive working from home the next few weeks. Some people do things like actually dressing up and working out, but I can honestly say: that ain't for me. Nothing wrong with that. Just find what works best for you. 

Stay safe and stay home (if you can). 

Thanks for reading. 

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