Time for a spring clean of your desk... as they always say "tidy desk, tidy mind".
I think it is very important to have a particular space in your home dedicated to work, a space you can go to when you are feeling creative and a space you can move away from when you need to clear your head. Whether this is a desk or a small space on your dining room table it’s amazing how we, as humans associate certain environments to “work” and “relaxing”. I would try to avoid working in bed, as much I often enjoy answering emails at 8am from my bed I know I am unable to be fully productive from this space I associate with relaxing, therefore, I force myself to get up and make my bed and pile the decorative cushions onto my bed to stop myself from crawling back in with my laptop.
If you are living in student accommodation, try to have a desk in your room with a comfortable chair that supports your back (if you are unable to change the furniture you can always add a cushion to your chair for extra comfort, this is what I did in halls of residence back in my first year). You can even get creative and add decorative file boxes, pen pots & stationary. Get onto Pinterest for some ‘study space inspo’ and try to make it as pleasant as possible, this way you will enjoy sitting in your study space and it might get the creative juices flowing when it comes to sitting down and working.
Light it up! Make sure your area of study is properly lit, again you can even get creative here by adding a cool desk lamp. You want to make sure the space doesn’t make you feel sleepy or cause eye strain. You can even use natural light by a window, this way you can also allow fresh air in to stop you from feeling sleepy when working – just try to not to get distracted by looking out of the window!
Try to keep your space as tidy and organised as possible, you can do this by creating a filing system for books or papers. Add a pencil case or pen pot to make sure you have the correct study supplies available that you might need, this can also avoid leading to the excuse of “getting up to find a highlighter” and returning 3 hours later…
Keep an eye on the time, have a clock nearby- this can help you time manage your studies particularly when it comes to exam revision. Dedicate 40-50-minute study time and then a 10-15-minute break this will help to increase your motivation and help you stay focused and actually retain information. Speaking of time, try to have a calendar or diary nearby or on your wall. This will allow you to visually see how long you have before a deadline or exam, again working as a great motivation tool (or to panic you into getting your head down) -either way both effective in my experience.
Personalise your study space! I’m a sucker for anything personalised with my name or initials on, but remember this is your personal space, make it personal to you, include things that motivate you and remind you why you are doing what you are doing!
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