How to: Stay Productive Whilst Studying Remotely

Studying remotely has made it difficult for many students to stay productive. Here are my five

tips on how to avoid being unproductive, whilst also ensuring a healthy work-life balance...

1. Have a routine:

Hear me out, I know you've probably heard it all before but a routine genuinely does work. Treating your studies and other commitments you may have (I hold an executive position in a society at uni and I'm a Student Union Representative) as a 9-5 job means that you have a consistent, dedicated time to focusing your energy on these responsibilities. It is important to note, however, that you also need to be realistic with what you want to achieve in that particular day so having a to-do-list of your tasks with timings may be useful in ensuring that everything is achieveable. If, at the end of the day you find that you haven't completed everything on the list then there is no use in beating yourself up about it as we're all human and there is always tomorrow. In fact, not sticking to the routine and working beyond your intended hours means you'll just end burning yourself out (which won't do much for productivity). It is therefore important to have that work-life balance to prevent this burnout and having a routine is one way to ensure this. You don't want the fun being sucked out of studying law (a subject which you're evidently passionate about) now, do you? Also, having a routine has the benefit of preparing you for the workplace as most jobs have a 9-5 routine so you know what to expect when you get into the workplace.

2: Have a dedicated study space:

Having a dedicated study space ensure that there is one space you associate with studying which can help prevent distractions. Avoid studying on your bed as that's your place of rest and won't do much to aid productivity as you'll find yourself scrolling through your social media or even napping accidently (trust me I've been there). Also, having a dedicated study space helps keep everything organised as you're less likely to misplace important notes for instance as you're not moving from place to place. However, don't hesitate to change your place of study if you need a change of scenery as it could help with productivity. For instance, I found that alternating between the desk in my room and the kitchen table during lockdown really helped and that changing the area of the library you work in sometimes really helps (just avoid sitting somewhere where it could get quite loud).

3: Take Breaks:

Taking breaks is really important in terms of your productivity. There is literally no use in sitting at your desk for hours on end, it'll just tire you out and you won't get as much done. I find that working in 45 minutes chunks with a 5 minute break is useful as it ensures that I'm able to recharge by giving myself five minutes to scroll through my phone or make a cup of coffee. I also ensure that I take an hour lunch break (timing depends on what time I have free that particular day because no two-days are the same) to fully take my mind off the tasks at hand which helps me approach the next task with a clear head, thereby aiding productivity.

4: Reward Yourself:

I understand that studying remotely has sort of blurred the lines between our academic and home life but it is important that you reward yourself. For instance, I find that rewarding myself with an hour of the netflix show or youtube at the end of the day for completing all my tasks gives me more of an incentive to be productive throughout the day. Additionally, for completing bigger tasks such a big essay deadline, I like to reward myself with a day off the next day which actually helps with my productivity (although do ensure that's somethig you can afford to do since you don't want to miss other important deadlines). For instance, during the first lockdown in spring, I rewarded myself with a day off academic work for completing my research proposal (which was a traumatic experience and a story for another day) which actually aided my productivity as I was able to approach my exam revision and presentation preparation (which was done remotely) with a clearer and more rested head.

5: Be comfortable:

This might sound like a bit of a weird one, but it is extremely important that you're comfortable sitting at your desk, especially since you're working long hours. I find that wearing a pair of comfy tracksuit bottoms (I've even shown up to uni in tracksuit bottoms before) or as has become a regular occurance since studying remotely pyjamas, and a hoodie ensures that I'm comfy whilst working. By all means, if you find that getting more dressed for the day is something you'd prefer then that's fine too - whatever works for you.

I hope these five tips have given you a greater insight into how be more productive when studying

remotely.