Studying at home can be a great and really effective, provided you don’t let yourself get distracted or de-motivated. You wouldn’t be the first distance learning student who finds it hard to keep on track and get through your course materials, but with our helpful hints and tips, you should find it much easier to achieve your qualification.
Create a Timetable
Now this suggestion sounds really obvious, but you would be surprised how many distance learning students don’t bother doing this. We know the whole point of you being a distance learning student is so you can study when you want, but even so, you need to know when those periods of study will be so you can focus and get yourself in the right mindset to study.
So sit yourself down with a weekly planner and your calendar and set aside mornings or afternoons that you’re going to dedicate to your studying at home.
Have a Dedicated Study Area
So now you have your study timetable, you’re all set to sit down and get studying right? Yes, except you’re in your living room and the tv is blaring so you keep getting distracted by the latest episode of that must see soap. Not ideal!
This is why it’s good to have a quiet, tidy area where you can tuck yourself away and sit down to some dedicated study. We don’t mean you need an entire room to become a makeshift classroom, but a corner of your bedroom or kitchen where it’s quiet and you can focus is definitely a great way to ensure you can give your studying at home 100% of your attention and effort.
Take Regular Breaks
It’s often tempting to look at studying at home as a way to just get everything out the way as quickly as possible. But the truth is, the human mind doesn’t cope very well with cramming, no matter how hard you try! After your first 45 minutes of studying, your ability to focus and absorb information is greatly reduced, this is why most classes in school and college average 45 minutes.
So make sure you break your learning down into chunks of 45 minutes and take regular breaks between these chunks. Go for a walk or fold the washing to give your mind a rest and a chance to process all you have just covered.
Set Goals and Reward Yourself
Nothing is more motivating that getting a reward! So set yourself achievable goals that you can complete while studying and treat yourself. For example, complete and pass the whole of unit one of your Diploma and treat yourself to that awesome pair of shoes you have been admiring online all this time. Not only do you progress your studying, but you also get an excuse to treat yourself! It’s a win win situation.
Look After Yourself
You may be wondering what this has to do with studying at home and the simple answer is everything! If you’re not eating properly or sleeping properly, then your mind is not going to be in the best condition for learning, so no matter how organised you are or perfectly ready for studying your dedicated area is, if you’re tired and can’t stop yawning, your brain isn’t going to be firing on all cylinders.
Make sure you’re eating plenty of wholesome food and getting your eight hours of sleep each night. Throw in a spot of exercising or meditating and you’ve got the perfect combination for being a motivated and pro-active home learner.