A global pandemic: What it's like as a university student

For many students, the normal university experience has changed in many ways. The pandemic has adjusted the way we now study, learn and socialise as most universities have shifted their courses to online teaching.

The beginning of 2020, as we know, wasn't off to a great start. On 23rd of March 2020, a national lockdown was annouced and we were all told to stay home. At this point in time, I was not home so I had to travel from university to my home in London.

We were told that the rest of our university year would now all be delievered online, meaning we were all learning from our homes. This consisted of constant Zoom calls, everyday at different times depending on which unit was scheduled on my timetable, to replace face-to-face lectures we would've had prior to Covid-19.

It's now 2021 and nothing has really changed. I'm in my second semester of second year, (literally half way through university!), and still currently studying and attending uni online.

At first, it wasn't too bad. There were even a few lovely benefits..

Pros

1. You could wake up 5 minutes before your 9 am

2. Morning lectures meant that I didnt have to leave my bed in the morning

3. You're more relaxed during the day and are not really in a normal classroom environment

4. The general comforts of home

5. Being around family

Yet the good doesn't outweigh the bad..

Cons

1. Paying £9,250 to be taught on Zoom and not really feeling your at university at all

2. Not the same quality of teaching

3. Not attending/missing lectures or seminars

4. Hard to maintain focus at times

5. Easy to be unproductive

6. Disruptions from those living with you at home

And other things such as:

1. Going on your phone whilst in class cause your camera's off and no one can see you

2. 'Can you please turn your camera's on', 'Please unmute and speak' 'I'm going to put you in breakout rooms now' - the worst.

However, I eventually came to realise that I was forming bad habits and that they weren't particularly good for the present, as well as the future. It wasn't actually benefitting me in terms of my studies and productivity.

So, onto the next part about..

How to be most productive when studying from home

Plan your day or week

I found that planning and preparing what needs to be done is most effective as you're more likely to complete it. Make a list of your priorities for the day and check them off as you go.

Create a timetable

Organisation is key. Know your priorities and get them done. This could help get you into the routine where you're repeating the same things each week, increasing the chance of your productivity and consistency.

Wake up early

Waking up early is really effective when you want to get things done. Productivity coach and blogger, Ciara Conlon says "When you wake up early, you have more time for planning, strategic thinking, and getting organized" and I couldnt agree more. You also have more time in the day which is a huge benefit. I started doing this and noticed huge changes.

Be consistent

Now consistency is also key. Once you create a routine where you're working at the same time everyday or every other day, you'll develop a habit. Consistency is my harmatia.. but we're getting there.

Avoid distractions

Steering clear from the things that distract you is an essential asset when it comes to productive studying. Things such as a noisy environment, your phone, the TV, friends or family.

Take breaks

Its important to remember to give yourself breaks inbetween study sessions to relax and rest. Taking regular study breaks has been proven to enhance learning and motivation of students. Most importantly, the worst thing a student can do is overwork and burnout, so taking breaks are crucial!

Overtime, I gradually learned these things and tried to form habits that helped me become more productive and useful with my time.