Remote studying: Tips for a successful online semester

After spending most of the year living through a pandemic, the minimal face to face teaching this year was expected. However, bitter disappointment was still felt by students when we found out just how little time we were going to be spending on campus upon receiving our timetables.

Although this is quite different to the university experience we expected, it doesn’t have to affect our academic success. Earlier this year I completed my bachelor’s degree entirely remotely and have since began my master’s with very minimal face to face teaching. Here are some tips I’ve gathered from so much remote studying.

Create a tidy workspace

If you are surrounded by a chaotic mess, you’re less likely to keep a focused mindset while studying. Clutter can be a major distraction and make it way more difficult to organise your books, files and mind.

Draw a line between your social life and study time

We’ve all found ourselves tempted to start scrolling through Instagram whilst we should be doing uni work. This temptation is only intensified now that we are studying from our own rooms, mostly unsupervised by lecturers. Try turning your phone on flight mode or putting it out of reach until you’ve done what you need to do. Do stay in regular contact with your course-mates and lecturers though!

Write plenty of to-do lists

Ensure that you have a list of goals that you want to have reached by the end of each week, whether that be to do two past papers in preparation for an exam or to have a couple of thousand words written towards an assignment. This helps to motivate me and keeps me working productively towards my academic goals.

Develop a routine

Staying cooped up inside all day sat at staring at books and screens isn’t healthy for your body or your mind. Incorporate a walk into your daily routine. Get ready for uni as though you are going to head out of the door, then sit at your desk at start time with your things set up like you would in a face to face setting. Also, give yourself a proper lunch break and maybe call a friend or watch a quick episode on Netflix.

I hope these tips may help fellow students as we ease into the ‘new normal’ of university life.

Edited by Pia Cooper