Studying at home is not always easy. The invitations and distractions to watch TV, take a nap or wander the internet are almost irresistible.
For these and others you need some techniques and tips on how to study at home so that you can get as much income as possible in your studies.
And do you know where you find all these tips? Here, of course! We have made a comprehensive guide for you to discover how to study at home effectively and productively. Let's check?
Ideal environment for studying at home
1. Light
Studying in a poorly lit environment is a shot in the foot. You will not achieve adequate income, not to mention that you will end up harming your own health.
Therefore, choose the study environment based on lighting. Prefer places with natural light during the day and with artificial lighting suitable for studies at night (although this is not the best time to study).
Be careful that too much natural light does not get in the way too. If the place receives abundant light, it may be necessary to have a curtain on the window to block the excess of sunlight, which can even hinder the reading on screens, for example.
2. Ventilation
As important as lighting is ventilation. Therefore, try to study in a ventilated place with good air circulation, ensuring a comfortable temperature.
3. Less is more
Do not overdo the amount of visual stimuli in the study environment. The simpler the decoration of the space, the better. The excess of colors and objects distracts the brain and prevents you from concentrating on what really matters: studies.
4. Ergonomics and comfort
Lighting ok, ventilation ok, simple decoration ok. But there is still one thing missing for the study environment to be complete. You know what it is? Comfort and ergonomics.
You don't want to spend hours studying in an uncomfortable chair or at a table that doesn't fit your height. Therefore, provide furniture that values ergonomics. Swivel chairs with height adjustment, tables of adequate size and a footrest and back support already do the job.
How to study at home: planning and routine
1. Create a habit
According to a survey by University College London, it takes about 66 days to develop a new habit, making it permanent for life. Still, according to the research, the more you make this habit constant, without failing one day, the more likely you are to not give it up.
So the sooner you start to make a habit of studying at home, the better.
2. Set schedules
One of the best ways to create and maintain a habit is to set an agenda for it.
Plan your home study time, but be realistic. Do not try to force the bar by setting impossible goals and times to achieve.
The morning schedule is one of the most productive for the study, since the brain tends to be more attentive and awake. But it may not work for everyone. Try to understand the times that work best for you.
In addition to the time, also define the number of days of the week that will be dedicated to the study. The workload is also important. One hour a day may be enough for your learning, just as you may need at least three hours a day. Plan!
3. Sleep well
For everything to be right in your study routine, it is essential that you sleep well. That's right! At least eight hours of sleep a day will work miracles for your studies (some people are fine with fewer hours, assess your need).
So, set a time to go to bed and set your alarm clock to wake up the next day.
And at all costs, avoid extending your studies until the wee hours of the morning. This attitude disrupts your entire biological cycle and directly interferes with the production and regulation of hormones.
4. Degree of difficulty
Another golden tip to succeed in home studies is to divide the content according to your degree of difficulty with each one.
For subjects that are easier, allocate less time and for those that have greater difficulty, double the amount of time.
Also analyze what motivates you the most: study the easiest content first or the hardest.
5. Eliminate distractions
Don't be fooled into thinking that the cell phone next to you won't distract you. He goes! At any touch of new messages you will end up stopping what you are doing to give that quick look at the device.
The same goes for connected television. Escape all electronic distractions that may prevent you from completing your study routine.
If you need to use your computer to study, it is worth installing some social network blocker. At the end of the studies you unlock. So you don't run the risk of sabotaging yourself.
6. Eat well
It is very important that you eat well to focus and concentrate on your studies. Foods rich in sugars, fat and carbohydrates will make you drowsy. Fresh, natural foods help you stay awake.
Therefore, always prefer healthy food, choosing fruits, vegetables and cereals. Forget soda, snacks and stuffed cookies.
It is also essential that you stay well hydrated. Take a small bottle of water to your study table and go drinking.
If you find it necessary, add stimulating and energetic foods to your routine, such as coffee, dark chocolate and açaí, just don't overdo it.
7. Listen to music
It may not work for everyone, but there are a lot of people who get along very well with soft music playing while studying.
Music helps the brain to relax and focus on content, while also eliminating interference from outside noise.
But beware: it is not to listen to music on the last volume, nor to put that heavy metal head on.
Prefer sounds of nature, instrumental and classical music. Mozart and Beethoven can help you.
8. Take breaks
Despite being considered a machine, your brain can sometimes crash. Therefore, the ideal is to take scheduled breaks in your study schedule.
Allow an interval of ten to fifteen minutes between each study session. The longer you study, the longer the break can be, okay? A good suggestion is to stop fifteen minutes after every 45 minutes of study.
In the meantime, go to the bathroom, drink more water, have a snack, sunbathe (vitamin D is important), play with the dog and also do a series of stretches to relieve muscle tension.
But don't get lost in the pause and resume your studies at the scheduled time.
9. Have goals
Create goals to achieve in studies. They can be daily, weekly and monthly. The important thing is that you have a focus that shows you where you want to go.
Completing a book, finalizing a summary, learning a certain subject by that day, are some examples of goals you can set.
But again: be realistic! Otherwise, frustration may end up discouraging you.
10. Rewards
And for each goal reached (be it daily, weekly or monthly) establish a type of reward. It could be spending a little more time on social media, it could be a day of leisure, watching a movie, anything that gives you pleasure and motivates you even more.
That way you create a positive and productive cycle for your studies.
11. Relax
Allow yourself to relax from time to time. Do not become a slave to your studies.
Go out with friends, take a trip (even if it is a short one), go to the cinema, whatever you want, as long as you have fun.
12. Study techniques
There are some techniques that can help you absorb content more easily and effectively. After all, this decorating business has never helped anyone. Check out some tips:
13. Exercise the brain
At the end of each new subject studied, exercise your brain to test how much information you have absorbed. Answer questions, questionnaires, make summaries with your own interpretation.
All of this will help you to study better and learn more.
14. Recite what you've learned
Another efficient way to retain knowledge is to recite aloud everything you have just learned.
When listening to the content and elaborating its own interpretation on the subject, your brain gains the ability to fix the study more effectively.
15. Have a study group
How about also setting up a study group where one helps the other? It can be a face-to-face group or an online group. The important thing is to keep exchanging information, answer questions and fix the content.
16. Study methods
Some study methods can also help a lot in your routine. One of them is THIEVES, an American method that proposes reading the content by the most important and highlighted parts first, such as the title, subtitles and introduction. The idea is to make your brain become familiar with what will be read and, thus, be able to anticipate the study, facilitating understanding.
Another very popular method is the SQRRR which consists of flipping through the book or handout in search of the most important points, such as graphs, images, tables and highlighted words. Based on these elements, the student must ask questions and answer them during the reading.
It is also worth highlighting or underlining the most important parts of the text or making quick notes in a notebook. So you can consult this information whenever you need it. It also helps you to memorize the subject.
Now that you know how to study at home, just organize your study corner and start putting it all into practice today.
