Studying at Home

can definitely present some challenges.

If you are a student in 2020, especially a nursing student, I feel for you. Distraction, procrastination and focusing through long lectures and study sessions were hard enough before. Since the pandemic, most students have no other choice but to make studying from home work.

Fortunately, as a FNP doctoral student I am right there with you. I know it can seem harder than ever to stay motivated, but I hope with these tips you can make the most of learning from home.

Grab your laptop, books, witty coffee mug, gel pens and the rest of your study supplies. Let’s jump in!

1. CREATE A SACRED STUDY SPACE

Whether you are studying in your home office or at the corner of your kitchen table, try to dedicate a learning area separate from your sleeping/relaxing area. Make this special space your own by having your favorite coffee mug, candle and maybe little plant, piece of art or motivational quote. It should be cozy and comfortable, but still clean and organized.

If you can, take your online exams here too! Studies show you recall information better information where you learned it.

2. DO NOT DISTURB

Saying “no” to family or friends when you don’t physically have to go to class can be tough, but the time has come to set up some major boundaries. Let your family or roomies know when you need to study. Whether this is a set time each day, a block of hours on the weekends, or all day before an exam, LET THEM KNOW. Put a reminder for them on the fridge or even a little sign up in your study area. Hopefully this can promote an uninterrupted environment for you, while avoiding unnecessary arguments and frustrations.

3. QUIET ZONE

Even with family/roommates respecting your do not disturb boundaries, studying at home still presents noise challenges. Siblings watching TV, fur babies barking, real babies crying, construction outside, the list goes on. To cancel out any unwanted noise invest in a pair of noise canceling headphones if you can, (AirPods Pro are pricey but worth it in my opinion), try earplugs, or whatever headphones you have. I tend to get too distracted when my music has lyrics, so experiment with what works for you- classical, jazz, or binaural beats which are an emerging form of sound wave therapy! Spotify also has white noise playlist if any sort of music is too distracting.

4. GET ORGANIZED

The first thing I do when my semester syllabi get posted is pull out my Life Planner from Erin Condren and go to town. Every paper deadline, test dates, discussion board due dates and everything in between. This way you can look at your weeks and months in advance and be on the lookout for those weeks where you have multiple assignments and tasks. From there I like to keep sticky notes for my individual day to-do lists. Pandemic or not, staying organized, planning ahead and staying on schedule is a nursing school essential.

If you don’t have a solid desk area or need to switch it up, try out a lapboard! — If you don’t have a solid desk area or need to switch it up, try out a lap desk!

5. ROUTINE, ROUTINE, ROUTINE

As much as quarantining has allowed us to embrace sweatpants all day, structure is key. Get dressed, fix your hair, make your morning coffee and incorporate all parts of your usual morning ritual as if you were heading to the library or cafe.

If your lectures are posted online to view at your own speed, create a routine around them as if you had to go to physical class. If you fall behind on your material it will be extremely stressful to catch up, so designate your class time and “show up”, to help get some normalcy of routine.

6. STAY FOCUSED

First off, put your phone away. Like, in the other room. Or in the drawer. On airplane mode. If that’s too much at least turn off the notifications.

I also like to get everything in order- snacks, water bottle and study supplies before I actually sit down for a study sesh so I avoid having to get up besides scheduled breaks. If you have a hard time with distractions, try the be focused app for your computer/phone which allows you to adjust settings for amount of work and breaks.

7. SCHEDULE BREAKS

Did you know studies show that taking breaks actually improves your attention? Stretch, clean up, cook a meal/make a snack or latte, get outside, go for a walk and podcast, call a loved one, meditate, or get in a quick workout. I find with my study breaks, scrolling on my phone or watching a Netflix show makes it exponentially harder to get back in the zone, so I generally prefer breaks to be away from screens. Find out what works for you, take your breaks and come back with some fresh motivation.

8. LOOK OUTSIDE YOUR ASSIGNED MATERIALS

Since we are moving a lot of our nursing education online, we might as well embrace all the world wide web has to offer! Search youtube videos like the ones from Khan Academy NCLEX-RN, collaborate on Quizlet (search nursing or the specific topic), and download the NCSBNS NCLEX RX App for memorizing drugs. Pinterest (yes, Pinterest) also has witty mnemonics, funny diagrams and helpful tips for studying nursing content.

For extra back-up, Osmosis has tons of videos for A&P review, practice questions and resources dedicated for specific healthcare student programs.

9. ZOOM STUDY GROUPS

I know you might feel zoomed-out, but research shows that students who study with peers retain 90% of the material, versus 60% of what they hear in class. For you hard classes, schedule a weekly meeting with a few classmates to stay on track with material. I personally like to have gone through the material myself to feel as prepared as possible before heading into a group.

10. ASK FOR HELP

Learning from home is hard. Remember your instructors and faculty are also having to figure this out as they go, so chances are they will be very understanding of your needs and concerns. Don’t hesitate to reach out with questions and utilize additional support, TA office hours, tutors & resources found on your (e)campus. If you are heading back to clinical, check out my post answering all your Clinical and COVID FAQs.

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I hope we will be back in our cozy coffee shops or posted up at the library soon, but for now I hope this helps as we are all studying from home. Stay safe and please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any specific questions, thoughts or ideas. Drop me a line in the comments or find me on social media, I’d love to hear from you!