studying in isolation
Hey everyone! As the very constant person that I am, I’ve been absent from tumblr for some time (again 😅). However, like the rest of the world, I’ve been having difficulties in my academic life (actually in all parts of life 😋) during this corona-crisis. I have changed the way I normally do things and it seems I’ve got a grip on my life again. So, I’ve decided to share some of the strategies I’m currently using.
Like all of you, my life has taken a 180° turn. Suddenly I have a lot of free time on my hands and somewhat less determination to get things done (even with a copious amount of coffee). So, this is what I’m doing:
Planning
a. Time: Because of this sudden increase in free time, the plan I had in the beginning of my semester needed to be re-evaluated. The time I had assigned for study groups, thesis writing, data gathering and classes didn’t work anymore. So, I sat down with my planner and reassigned my study times. Also, since I live with my partner and he’s working the entire day, I had to take his schedule into consideration. Luckily, we agreed on each other’s times and we try not to distract one another.
b. Location: It’s really important to have a place where you won’t be distracted. In my case I was fortunate enough to get the bedroom, and since we don’t have kids I really don’t get any distractions coming my way. My partner, on the other hand, got the living room, and he sadly has to put up with me going there to grab my coffee shots and snacks every now and again. He says I don’t really distract him because I try to be quiet and he has his headphones on. Still, for those of us who do not have the same self-control to not feel bothered as my partner, I would imagine these interruptions would be annoying. But then again, just try to imagine you’re studying somewhere on campus where people come and go, and how you don’t get bothered by it (I assume). If you have kids, I know this approach will be a bit problematic. What I could suggest is what my mom did when she was in grad-school and me and my baby brother were restless. She gave us “fun assignments”, which we needed to solve together to get some sort of reward. She’s a pedagogue so I imagine she was just testing some of her theories on us... However, I have to say it was very effective and it normally led us to be quiet and concentrated for long spans of time. Usually the amount of time that allowed her to get some sh*t done.
Progression
I used to pride myself on being able to sit down for long periods of time and really concentrate on the task I was working. But since the advent of the “corona induced isolation” I seemed to have lost this power. 😞 Now I find myself sitting down in front of my computer sometimes reading papers, sometimes writing, and sometimes coding; all of which at the end of the day I feel like I haven’t accomplished. What I started doing instead was just taking short steps. I set a timer for 1 hour, but before I start it I write down what I want to accomplish in this one hour. Then I go about the task as I normally would. At the end of the hour I write down what I actually accomplished. After doing this I realized that I was working much more than I initially thought, and was feeling exhausted and frustrated at the end of the day. I’ve done this for 3-4 days and in the next following days I progressively increased the time to an additional 30 minutes. Now I’m setting 2:30 to 4:00 hours depending on the task. VERY IMPORTANT: for long periods of time I have a little break to recharge, otherwise I cannot function.
Rests
Yes, we still need to rest! This whole situation has taken a toll not only on our physical health but also on our mental well-being. So, add in your routine some time to rest, and I can’t stress this enough: Don’t feel guilty about it!!!!! Take the time to do what you like, to enjoy the company of those who are around you (or those you want to call), to sleep well, to do nothing at all. It’s very important to not feel pressured to do anything that you don’t feel like doing. If it’s not your jam to have online social gatherings or participating in a study group with other colleagues, and you are not required to do it, just say no thank you.😊 It is very important to respect yourself, and the people who are organizing these events are well aware not everyone feel comfortable joining them. However, if you feel lonely or experience any weird thoughts, then I encourage you to seek the help of those you feel comfortable with. The situation we’re living right now is hard on everyone, we are all somewhat discouraged. But be kind to yourself, be kind to others, and accept help from those who are a willing to help you. We are all on in this together.