Whether you’ve got an exam around the corner or a huge assignment deadline looming over you, knowing how to study effectively at home is a must-have skill.
If you live a bit of a trek away from the library, sometimes studying at your uni home is the best option. There are loads of advantages to studying at your uni home – no time or money spent travelling, no need to lug your items across town, and easy access to all your food and drinks.
However, that doesn’t mean that it’s without its challenges. It can be difficult to focus on studying when your housemates keep trying to convince you to catch up on last night’s episode of Love Island.
Here are our top study tips to help you stay focused no matter how tempting the distractions are.
Whilst it’s very tempting to have a lie-in (especially if you haven’t got any early lectures or seminars), getting up nice and early is the key to effectively studying at your uni home. Make sure you’re awake and ready to start studying.
Take a shower, grab yourself a nice breakfast, and get changed out of your PJs! You’ll feel so much better for it and will be more alert and ready to take on whatever work you need to do.
Do you have a desk that you can use for your study session? Similarly to our previous point, as tempting as it is to stay in bed, it won’t do your productivity levels any good!
Setting up a nice study area will definitely help you feel more organised. Plus, it’ll help you set boundaries between where you do your work and where you live. This is useful for helping you get into a focused mood when you’re working and allowing you to shut off when it’s time to unwind afterwards.
Creating a timetable for your studies can really help, especially if you’re not the best at time management. Investing in a study planner is a must if you have multiple assignments to work on or have several exams to revise for. It can help you track what you need to do and ensure you meet all your deadlines.
Make sure you consider how you study best – if you know you’re most focused in the morning, that’s probably the time to revise for your hardest exam. Getting the stuff you find most challenging out of the way early on can make the rest of the day feel like a breeze!
When you’re working from your uni home, it can be easy not to have a proper rest. Factor a few breaks into your study plan.
Whether you use your breaks for a walk, to cook a tasty lunch, to call your best mate, or even to scroll through social media, downtime can help reduce your stress levels and refresh your mind. Don’t forget the importance of fresh air – even if you don’t fancy a walk, sitting outside for a few minutes can really improve your focus.
We know just how tempting it is to have a quick scroll through Tik Tok (and get stuck scrolling for an hour) or to sit texting your mate rather than focusing on your assignment.
Distractions can be very consuming, letting your mind drift away, so ensuring that there are minimal things to pull you away from your work can be a great way to work more efficiently.
It might even be worth having a chat with your housemates to let them know you’re going to be busy for a few hours, so they can leave you alone to concentrate.
Hopefully, these tips will help you ensure you’re not falling behind with your studies, even when working from your uni home. However, if your bills are causing a bit of a distraction (has Tom not paid them again?), then we can help!
Split the Bills are a bill-splitting service trusted by thousands of students. We know that utility bills are a source of stress for many students. You shouldn’t be chasing up your housemates and spending hours on hold with your utility suppliers, especially when you’ve got exams to study for!
We handle all your utility accounts and payments, so you don’t have to. All you need to do is pay your monthly bills, which we put together in one neat payment, and we will chase any overdue bills from your housemates – so you don’t have to! Creating an account with us is super easy, and you can create a personalised package based on what your house needs.
If you want to make utility bills as simple as possible, learn more about how Split the Bills works or get a price today!
With the end of the year fast approaching, you may be thinking about heading home for Christmas to spend time with family and friends. The uni term will slowly be winding down, and you’ll feel more and more festive each day.
The move from first to second year at university often comes with a lot of change as most students will have to start paying bills for the first time. In this feature we discuss how you can keep your finances organised and pay bills responsibly.
The move from first to second year at university often comes with a lot of change as most students will have to start paying bills for the first time. In this feature we discuss how you can keep your finances organised and pay bills responsibly.