How to keep your studies on track during COVID-19

While facing the growing complications of the COVID-19 pandemic, we at London School of Business and Finance hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy. Keeping up with your responsibilities, on top of facing these new complications, is no easy feat - but with support and a little creativity, we will make it through together. Here are a few tips to help you stay focused on your academic goals while taking care of yourself during these uncertain times.

Stay connected while social distancing

For public health reasons, measures are being implemented across the globe to keep people out of public spaces to slow the spread of the virus. The efforts may protect your physical health, but can lead many to experience feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression. While it is completely valid to feel the emotions you are experiencing, it is more important now than ever to reach out to family, friends, and loved ones to maintain important relationships. 

Thankfully, we have many ways to get in touch with people instantly, via text message, video chat, or even email. If it works for you and your schedule, try to arrange for regular phone or Skype calls with family and friends. Hearing a familiar voice or seeing a loved one’s smile can help brighten your day and remind you of what you will return to once things have gone back to normal. 

Rethink your home office

Under the protective measures to slow the spread of COVID-19, many people who typically go into an office for their job are now working from home. While there are definitely some benefits to working from home - comfier work attire, and likely less of a line for the microwave - transitioning into the home office mindset can be a bit disorienting.

Avoid burnout and keep from feeling too overwhelmed at home by establishing separate areas within your living space for work, study, and down time. Think about the environment you best study in, and try to create a designated space in your home where you can enter an academic mindset, that is separate from where you answer work emails or take business calls. This will help you more easily shift into a productive mode and focus on the tasks in front of you.

Your study space should be somewhere quiet and as distraction-free as possible. As you’ve likely heard countless times, avoid working from your bed or other rooms typically designated for relaxation or hobbies. It can be tempting to take a nap if you study laying in bed, or your sleep schedule could be disrupted by thoughts of upcoming assignments if you read course material in bed before trying to get your eight hours in.

Make a schedule and stick with it

Under normal circumstances, you likely have a fairly regular and predictable schedule, whether it be for work or recurring personal commitments. While headed into the uncharted territory we now face in lockdown, it is easy to slip into unproductive habits or feel disconnected with your studies. Stay motivated and on top of your responsibilities by making a schedule or general routine that best fits your commitments and work style. 

If a fixed structure doesn’t aid your study process, try focusing on manageable goals rather than planning your time hour by hour. Consider what keeps you on track to meet deadlines. If you study better in the evenings, for example, set up a routine in which you complete all other tasks before your study time so you can focus on assignments. If you retain information better after a morning run, try getting up a little earlier to fit some study time in before starting your work day.

Give yourself a break

There are a lot of changes happening in the world at the moment, and constant news updates on top of your online studies can be overwhelming to say the least. When doing any kind of work that requires your full attention, whether in your office or during study time, it’s important to include breaks in your daily schedule. 

To de-stress and refocus for better quality work, schedule regular breaks throughout your day. Make time to rest your eyes from phone, laptop, or television screens, or take a meditative lunch break away from your study area. Even a quick walk around the block or a few minutes spent doing a relaxing activity you enjoy can do wonders for your overall productivity and mood.

Be patient with yourself

Perhaps the most important tip to keep in mind is to be patient with yourself during these transitions. We are all facing stressful and uncertain times and there will be a lot of adjustments in the coming weeks to find the right balance of work and rest. The process will be more productive if you try not to be too hard on yourself for not immediately working at the same capacity you are used to. Give yourself some credit and keep focused on the what you are working towards on the other side of quarantine. 

If you were thinking of starting a face-to-face programme with London School of Business and Finance and are still interested in studying with us, take a look at our online courses to discover how you can earn your qualification entirely online, without needing to relocate or travel to a physical campus.