Whether you are in isolation or whether you are able to go school, a student’s at-home study space is extremely important. Many students prefer to complete their study at the library or other away-from-home locations, due to the distractions that can arise at home. These days, however, students might not have a lot of choice. Having a space at home which is both comfortable and conducive to good study habits is greatly helpful – what if you want to study late at night? You don’t need an entire at-home office to be productive, so how can you set up a space which meets your needs?
Here are some tips to help you set up a great study space:
- Separate your workspace from your sleeping space. As much as I love lying in bed to do my work and take my online classes, it can become an issue if it blurs the lines between home and work. Studies have shown that your quality of sleep may even decrease as a result of working from your bed. If there is no space in your house to set up a desk outside your room, consider setting up temporarily at a table during the day, or put a desk in your bedroom.
- Make sure you have a good chair. Working from home and giving in to the temptation to sit at your computer all day brings several risks: you can easily strain your back, neck, eyes and more. Even if you don’t have a fancy ergonomic office chair, make sure to use cushions to position yourself more comfortably, and consider propping up a laptop on some large books sometimes so you aren’t always hunched over.
- Minimise distractions. Working at home opens up a whole new world of distractions – you can easily be side-tracked by your fellow residents, your phone, laptop and more. Let others in your household know when you plan to study so that they know not to interrupt you. Try leaving your phone away from your study space if you don’t need it – often, having it within arm’s reach is simply too tempting. If you know you need to cut down on your time spent on the Internet, consider disabling social media or turning off your Wi-Fi for brief to lengthy periods of time.
- Keep your study space clean and neat. A simple study space ensures that you can get your best work done. For most people, a neat, clean environment is conducive to focus and good study habits. This is not to mention the fact that a messy, crowded desk space will not allow you much room to actually complete your work! Don’t cause yourself unnecessary stress by letting your space get messy.
- Set up your workspace near natural light. Think about putting your desk in front of a window. Studies have actually demonstrated that natural light has a wide range of benefits, including improving productivity. This is not to mention the fact that it feels great to sit in bright spaces, especially now when many people are confined inside.
How have you set up your workspace?
If you loved this article, you will LOVE all of our other articles, such as: How to Develop Problem-Solving Skills in Students, Benefits of Using Technology in the Classroom and How to Study in Times of Stress.
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