Top 10 Tips from MIC for Students Studying at Home

Mary I share their tops study tips for students studying at home during COVID-19.

Top 10 Tips from MIC for Students Studying at Home

As the COVID-19 pandemic sees the closure of schools and third-level institutions nationwide, efforts have been made to adapt to a new way of teaching and learning that requires students to study and complete assessments from home. These unprecedented times have forced students, lecturers, and teachers alike to find a new status quo when it comes to how they teach and learn.

The COVID-19 pandemic is not an easy time for students. Most third-level students have had to pack up their college lives within a few days and go back home, a transition that can be very stressful especially in the midst of a global health crisis. Similarly, Junior and Leaving Cert students have had to continue to study with the assumption that state examinations will go ahead. While facing into examinations is stressful as it is, students must recognise this time as an extended study break rather than a holiday. 

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While working and studying from home requires more focus and discipline, students must recognise that it is achievable by following a few simple steps including maintaining a routine, taking regular breaks, utilising e-learning platforms, communicating with lecturers, teachers and fellow classmates, creating a dedicated study space, being organised and most of all being kind to yourself. It is vital that students remain positive, focused, and work towards building a new norm during this uncertain period in their lives. 

As we all adjust to a new normal and embrace studying and working from home, the Health Promotion Service team at Mary Immaculate College (MIC) have compiled their top tips to help students studying at home.

1. Get up early as if it was a normal college day.
2. Establish a structure to your day. Block out times for lectures, study, meals, exercise etc.
3. There are a number of online tools such as Skype or Zoom that you can download for free and enable you to coordinate video chats with groups of people. Use these programs to set up study groups with course mates so you can spend some time discussing ideas, analysing texts together and swapping study tips.
4. Engage with your learning. Put your phone down while studying or listening to an online lecture as if you were in the library or in an actual lecture. Be prepared, do the readings and take notes as in a normal lecture.
5. Organise a designated space for study.
6. It is normal to feel lonely at the moment. Stay in touch with your peers and friends using social media.
7. Take regular breaks. Get out for a walk/run/cycle every day but practice physical distancing and stay within a 2km radius of your home. Visit 2kmfromhome.com to see how far from your home you can roam. Alternatively, get 30 minutes of exercise at home. There are a number of workouts on YouTube to choose from and Fitness Blender is also another good source for daily workouts. 
8. Eat healthy, well-balanced meals and healthy snacks.
9. Anxiety is a normal human emotion. It is likely that the uncertainty we are facing at the moment can increase feelings of anxiety. Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories. MIC’s Counselling and Chaplaincy Services are still available for help and advice during this time. You can also visit the HSE’s website for tips on minding your mental health.
10. Activities like yoga and meditation can help with feelings of stress and anxiety. There are lots of YouTube videos to choose from. 

Remember, we’re all in this together and by staying at home we can all save lives and slow the spread of COVID-19.

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