Revision Tips during the Pandemic – OurWarwick
Revision Tips during the Pandemic
I’m sure everyone is working hard preparing for exams, and this is exceptionally difficult under the current circumstances. With family members around at home… Lacking library resources… Not being able to go out and relax… I get it, we’re on the same page.
I also struggled to focus on my academics at first, but I have managed to make some adjustments, and I think I am doing quite well now! Of course, not to mention that the university have worked so hard to provide us with as much support as possible. Their help have really been reassuring and make us feel less stressed!
Here I’d like to share some tips on how to stay productive despite the current situation.
1. Creating a Working Space for Yourself
I always find it hard to work at home, because there’s just all kinds of distractions, and it feels too homely and comfortable to concentrate on work. During term time, I go to the library a lot so I could make sure to stay focus. But obviously that would not be a viable option now and we have to accommodate to that.
It is important to create a work space for yourself at home, making a distinction between areas for work and areas for leisure. In that way, when you are sitting in your work area, you know you need to focus on work. I would suggest cleaning up your table and allocating your revision material well; a messy room just doesn’t help. You should probably keep your phone away so you don’t get distracted, maybe leave it somewhere else in the house or even leave it with your parents!
2. Setting up Everyday Schedule and Small Goals
With the lockdown going on, it’s just very easy to lose track of time and ending up wasting our entire day not doing anything at all. We used to go out for classes and then perhaps stay in the library for a few hours, finishing our day with some nice cooking at home; but now, we’re just stuck in the house all day for weeks!
However, if you try setting routines for yourself, dividing a day up into a few sessions, that would certainly help. You could, for example, work on your essay in the morning, and then have lunch with your family, revise on one lecture, take a tea break, revise on another lecture, and finally have a nice dinner again with your family. Having routines means keeping yourself active – it doesn’t have to be big, just different things to do around your house!
With your revisions going on, it might also be helpful to have little goals, say finish revising one module in four days. Sometimes big goals might be too overwhelming, but small ones would be more achievable, keeping you motivated and something to get you out of bed early!
3. Getting a Study Group
Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t mean to ask you to hangout with your friends, that is apparently not allowed now. But despite not being able to see your coursemates every day, you could still keep in touch with them and share your revision progress with each other, help solving each other’s queries!
Even not under the current situation, it is always better to work with your friends. A few minds working together is always better than just one. Keeping track of each other’s progress always helps making you feel like you’re not alone on the road. This doesn’t take you to meet the group in person, you could simply have a group chat and text each other, or have a video call once in a while. Apart from helping with your studies, it could also make you feel less disconnected from the real world!
Finally, despite all the stress, it is important to take breaks and have a work-life balance. Working too much doesn’t necessarily guarantee you better performance, it is vital to allow your brain to relax from time to time. Again, this is true even under normal exam periods.
We won’t be able to go to parties/ the cinema/ cafes, but there’s actually also plenty you could do at home! For example, Netflix, baking, sewing, board games, playing music instruments, or even just simply have a nice chat with your family. This might actually be a good opportunity to spend more time with your family and enhance your relationship with them!
Of course, these are never the ideals I would hope for, but I’d say it’s the best we could do under the pandemic, and hopefully allow us to manage our studies. Let me know if you find these tips helpful! Remember we are all together in this situation and you are not alone! Feel free to also share your experience, stay safe and well!
Thank you so much for taking time to write these tips. They are helpful.
Cho Sze Wong English Language and Linguistics