How to stay motivated with assignments during lockdown

Now that the country has moved to a Level 5 lockdown, it can be even harder to stay motivated and keep on top of college or university work. Many students will be doing all their classes and work from their homes for the foreseeable future, but how can we get ourselves in the right mind-set to focus on assignments from home? Here’s some tips.

Organise a good study space

Everyone has a different home environment so this one can be difficult, but if possible, try find a space dedicated to online classes and studying. Try keep it neat and tidy – this can help you feel calm and more in control when the time comes to start writing assignments or studying for exams. Make a timetable so that you can keep on top of your work and not allow class work to leak into your personal down time and vice versa. Easons is a go-to for some decently priced, reliable study supplies. Sometimes it can be inspiring to look at how others set up their study spaces, check out @emily_studies on Instagram; her notes will definitely make you want to get studying.

Engage in your classes

While it might be hard to unmute your microphone and get involved in the beginning, asking questions and engaging with the material is a huge way to get into the right frame of mind for learning. Just because it’s online, you should still treat it like you would a normal lecture, and be on time, listen, ask questions and generally get the most out of it. It will come in handy later on when it comes to doing assignments or exams if you actually paid attention.

Talk to your classmates

Social interaction is what a lot of us are missing from the college experience this year, so it’s important to try and mimic that as much as possible. Make a class group chat or message friends individually. Talking to your college friends, be it about college or anything else, will give you a sense of normality and a boost to get on with your work. The online game Among Us is really popular right now and a great way to have fun with your friends.

Take breaks

If you try to sit at your computer for hours at a time, you’re going to burn out and end up falling behind due to simply being sick of looking at a screen. Remember that in a normal setting, your college day is broken up by things like lunch breaks and commutes, and no one can learn if they’re don’t have a break every once in a while. Remember to switch off once in a while and not overwork yourself. Go for a walk or watch something fun on Netflix – Emily in Paris is the ultimate lighthearted, easy watching show if you need a break right now.

Reach out

In such uncertain times, as winter approaches, it’s naturally easy to just lose your drive and fall behind. If this happens, reach out to someone who you can trust and explain how you’ve been feeling. Once you share your feelings with someone, you can start making a plan of how to get back on top of things. Get in touch with your college lecturers and explain what’s been going on to them, and I’m sure they’ll be happy to help you catch up. Just because we’re apart, doesn’t mean we need to be alone. If you’re feeling low, get in touch with Pieta House on (01) 6010000, Jigsaw on (01) 472 7010 or SpunOut.ie, which has a huge range of advice on anything that might be stressing out.