There are many benefits of being able to take online classes at home. Studying from home makes it possible to have a job, take care of your children and save money on gas. Also, there are many options regarding what you can study: a foreign language, writing, marketing and even university courses. There’s no reason as to why you can’t focus on self-development: if you have internet, some free time and a computer, you have everything you will need.
So, if you want to progress your life, find a good job or get promoted, Gananci recommends that you look for what you love, think big and let go of the fear of failure that paralyzes you. Find your ideal online course at once!
However, without a librarian telling you to be quiet or a boss hoping for you to stay at your desk, it’s easy to get sidetracked. Here are seven tricks to make the most of learning from the comfort of your own home.
1. Go to your happy place
You can try studying in different places, such as a park, a very quiet café or different nooks of your apartment. If you feel relaxed and happy, it is much easier for you to concentrate. Try to avoid noisy places to minimize distractions (such as a crowded shopping center).
Can’t go out? Create a perfect space to feel comfortable studying - clean, well organized and with good lighting. You can even put light some candles or incense if that helps you relax or play some environmental music (as long as it’s not something heavy or too lively).
2. Plan your coffee break wisely
The best moments to charge your batteries are between 10 a.m. and noon, and between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. This goes for coffee or your caffeine of choice. Why not early in the morning? The body produces cortisol naturally in the morning, which helps us wake up. Caffeine complicates the production of cortisol, which makes us more dependent on caffeine.
3. Make your laundry work for you
If you’re like me, your daily tasks are not done unless you procrastinate on completing something else. It can be very tempting to finally rearrange your dirty laundry drawer instead of writing that report. Try this instead: put a load of clothes and turn it into your work stopwatch. From the moment the wash cycle starts, you should write. You can take a break to put a new load, and then the timer starts again.
4. Take notes - seriously, take notes
As an online student, you are probably watching lectures on your computer. Do not let the convenience of being able to rewind it and reproduce it again prevent you from taking notes. In fact, leave your laptop and instead use a pen and paper. Research shows that when using laptops, students become more distracted and remember less. In addition to that, they also grasp less immediately. Doing many things at once makes productivity decrease by up to 40%.
5. Leave your cave
One of the most important tricks to studying at home is to make sure you’re still getting enough social time. People go crazy if they don’t talk to anyone all day, even introverts. Try taking your lunch to a local park, take a couple of hours to volunteer, or at least call your internet company to complain about something. Make sure you talk to someone during the day.
6. Pants
I know. Wearing pajamas all day or not wearing pants can be one of the best parts of studying off campus. In my experience, not getting dressed makes me more likely to decide to watch a single episode on Netflix, in bed, after lunch. And then a second. Or maybe even three episodes. By getting up and getting ready for the day, you can help set the mood for a productive day.
7. Use the rule of three
The rule of three says that you only have to do three things. Make a list of things to do today (preferably in Nozbe :)) and just put the following three things in it. Give each one of them a good cross-out (or a nice tick) once you finish it (make it satisfactory).
Once you have finished them, create your next list or add tasks to your Priority list in Nozbe. Make sure that each activity is small enough so that you can complete it quickly. It will help you to divide your extensive list of things to do into small objectives.
Now you know that studying from home is definitely possible, and with just a few tricks, you can get the most out of it. Always remember to keep a positive attitude to see the fruits of your work.
