How to make your student home your new home office

This year has been the year of working from home. With more and more people forced to work remotely, there’s one group of people that have spent the majority of their time already doing so… students!

We all know the importance of a serene, calm yet motivational work space (we’ve all seen the Pinterest boards), but just how easy is it to create your own? *Hint, it is pretty easy. 

Below are our top tips on creating that multi functional workspace you’ve all been after.

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Study area 

First things first, you need to choose your study area (and sitting on your bed does not count). This needs to be a place that is separate to the other areas of your house/ apartment/ room, so that you know when you are here it is study time. This not only helps you to focus, but will also help you switch off when you stop for the day when leaving this designated area. 

It doesn’t have to be large and all homes are set up differently; but somewhere that you can set up a space and work comfortably from.

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Furniture

To ensure you will use this space in the long run, you will need to buy appropriate furniture. That’s a sturdy desk and a good chair. For those that will be sitting here for long periods of time, it is worth investing in a decent chair to support your back. You can purchase these second hand if you have budget restrictions. 

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Equipment

Make sure to write a list of everything that you need to make working from home as easy as possible. Not only does this include a desktop/ laptop, but also pens, paper, calculator etc. You need this place to make things as easy as possible for you so that you can sit here and get everything you need done. 

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Lighting 

Lighting is key when it comes to studying. Too bright and you’ll get a glare on your screen and too dark can result in tired eyes and sleepiness. 

Try to work as close to a window as possible for natural light, but think about the angle at which you are facing the light. If this is not feasible and/ or you prefer to work at night, then a good desk lamp will help provide you with the right lighting. There are different types of light bulbs also available on the market so you can find one to suit you. 

Where possible, also try limiting the brightness on your screen. We spend so much time on devices in today’s world and these bright, artificial lights can wreak havoc on your eyes.

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Time management is key

When working from home it is important to set up your day just like you would during lectures or work. 

Writing down a target for the day of what you would like to achieve and by when can help you keep on track. Some people like to have diary so that they can write all their to do lists down and tick off as they go to stay focused. 

There are also many online project management tools like Trello, Asana and Slack that also do similar things and have a deeper level of project management if this is something you are interested in. 

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Think distractions! 

Limit distractions as much as possible (we are looking at your mobile phones). Try to limit using phones when working by either turning it off (if you have the willpower) or setting it away from your workspace to stop you from looking at it every 5 minutes. 

For some people loud music can be a distraction and will therefore require peace and quiet. For others, music can actually aid motivation and therefore quiet music of your choice can help boost mood and motivation.

06/10/2020