Ever since the world was hit with pandemic last year our lives have never been the same. Whether tiny, unnoticable or very easily pointable, there has been changes in everybody’s lives. Not to mention how the education sector has taken a 360 degree turn. Schools and other educational institues were closed for more than a year. After battling the pandemic for a year India was just beginning to witness things come back to a kind of normalcy and the nation has been hit with a heavy second wave. Students could finally be in the classrooms but just a few months after, they are being told to stay at home again. Calling for a fresh round of online classes. The amount of stress students must be going through at a time like this is something disregardable. Confused and trying to adjust to the continuous changes being made, be it the shut down of schools, cancellation of board exams or postponement of various other exams, focusing on studies at times like this can be really challenging. Though being in a classroom and learning through a screen can never be the same, you can still be at the top of your game.
Here are a few tips for studying during this unprecedented times.
Create Your Own Space
This might sound a bit off but spatial memory plays a vital role when it comes to studying. In schools, we tend to stick by a seat where we sit on a daily basis because that is our space of studying. Sometimes you may find it hard to recall some things taught in the class but once you connect it with spatial memory, it helps you remember. So even at home, it is really important to create your own space for studying i.e. set a desk whether at your room or somewhere else but make that space only for studying.An important thing when creating your space is make sure it is clean and organized. As you go through the day, attending various online classes your space/desk may become a little cluttered. During the break time or at the end of the day take time to organize and declutter your space. A clean and clutter free space helps you focus better.
Make a Routine
Though the classes are held online there is always a set timetable for when a particular class takes place. Since this routine is set for the day, plan your whole day around it. Remember, you are not in school and being at home does not mean only studies and nothing else. There are tons of distractions and since you no longer go and come back from school giving time for homework might not be that easy. It is because earlier, homework was supposed to be a piece to study to be done at home but now since you are studying at home all the time it might be a little difficult to give time to homework and assignments. You might feel that all you did throughout the day was study. To break the monotony, make a routine that best fits your schedule. Add in some recreational activities in between, give yourself long breaks so that you don’t feel like all you are doing at home is study. The timetable should totally fit your online class schedule and be filled with your liking. When setting time for self study, assign more time to subjects which you find a little hard to crack. Add in sessions of dance, music, painting, reading or sports of your liking.
Remove Distractions
Spending time at home can also mean distractions since it is not an ideal place for a classroom curriculum as your school. So it becomes very important to tune out any distractions and focus only on attending your classes. Since you connect with your teacher via a screen, it becomes more important that you pay extra attention to whatever the teacher is teaching. Cancelling out distractions is not only important during the online class but also while you are doing self study. If you live in a household where the TV is always on and people are fond of talking, you can take help of some good headphones. Listening to calming music, study music might even increase your focus and concentration on top of cancelling the noise.
Communicate
It is one of the very important factors to be kept in mind. In schools we not only learn from textbooks but we also learn from our peers and teachers. The whole school environment and everyday experiences helps a student learn a lot. Being stuck at home means no more of that. So it is very important you communicate with your friends, classmates, other peers and teachers. Discuss topics that you were taught that day, voice out your doubts to your teacher and ask questions. This way learning becomes interactive, fun and retainable.
Furthermore communication at home is also equally important. Inform your family members beforehand that you will be studying through a particular time period. This way, there will be less chance of noise and distractions, leading you to study effectively.
Use Technology
It is technology that has made online classes a possibility, had it not been there, imagine what the education system during a pandemic would’ve looked like. Technology is capable of so much more and students can make use of it any time, any day for anything. During online classes, you can record the session for later use. Go back to a recorded lesson if you didn’t get the concept thoroughly, make notes out of it etc. There is an unlimited amount of access to study material online be it through writing or video.
