Top 10 Tips to Creating Your Own Study Space

Gathering the energy and concentration to revise, or complete an assignment can sometimes be a struggle. However, creating the perfect environment to study in will make it easier to keep procrastination at bay and concentration levels at an all-time high. By taking control and managing your productivity, you will achieve the results you are more than capable of.

DESIGNATED AREA

Decide on one area and stick to it. Whether it is your bedroom, office, kitchen or conservatory, let family members know you are claiming it as your study space and request that they keep distractions to a minimum when you are in there. By choosing different places to revise, you will pick up new distractions along the way, but by dedicating one area to academic work, your brain will familiarise with it and enter ‘study mode’ when you’re there.

TIDY THE AREA

A cluttered desk is a cluttered mind! By having piles of paperwork scattered over your desk, you are creating distractions for yourself. It’s very easy to lose your trail of thought when you cannot find the sufficient piece of revision material, and time spent looking is wasting the time that could be spent working. Invest in a filing system with one section for revision notes, one for completed work and one for pending tasks.

NATURAL LIGHTING

Attempting to work in a dimly lit room is a recipe for failure. Try and schedule your study time for the morning, and if possible open a window to invite as much natural daylight into the room as you can. As well as brightening up the room, it will keep your brain alert and bring positive energy into the space, thus aiding productivity.

SWITCH OFF

Probably the biggest distraction to anyone trying to concentrate on studying! But also the easiest to avoid. Switch off your mobile phone, sign out of social media on your laptop and turn the TV and radio off. Allow yourself to have designated ‘social media breaks’ every couple of hours to check your accounts, but otherwise avoid it completely.

CALMING MUSIC

Working in complete silence isn’t for everyone, but instead of turning on your favourite radio station, which can be full of distractions, create your own revision playlist. Choose songs with a slow beat, or acoustic tracks. Alternatively, many music streaming sites offer a varied selection of ‘study playlists’, just download your favourite one and you’re good to go!

PMA

It’s impossible to revise if you are not in the right mind frame. Waking up and telling yourself that you are in a good mood is the perfect way to start your day. Over the course of completing assignments and maintaining an organised study timetable your mood will get better and better as you realise that you are capable of everything you wanted to accomplish. Remember, the difference between a good day and a bad day is your attitude!

BRAIN FOOD

Graze on brain food throughout the day to help you focus on the task at hand. We recommend magnesium packed seeds for busting stress, leafy greens to help with sustaining mental focus and blueberries for combating memory loss. Don’t forget the most important meal of the day- breakfast! Porridge oats with a chopped up banana is a great meal to provide the energy boost you need for a morning of studying.

BE ORGANISED

Before you sit down to study, make sure you have all the apparatus you need to hand. What are you studying today? Do you need a specific equipment such a scientific calculator or a certain programme downloaded on your laptop? Preparation is key when it comes to sticking to a study schedule, so make sure you plan ahead.

REWARD YOURSELF

Your workload will become significantly more manageable if you break it up. Allocate yourself a time scale to complete each assignment with an incentive for each one, categorised into short-term and long-term. It can be anything from allowing yourself to have a social media break, a tasty snack, to a full day off if you are working ahead of schedule.

DON’T OVERDO IT

Create a revision timetable and stick to it. By trying to tackle too much of your workload during the first couple of days or weeks, you will quickly lose interest and struggle to focus. Make sure your revision timetable is achievable, and always give yourself enough time to study for each piece of work.

Now that you have created the perfect study space, it’s time to put it to use! Browse our range of higher education online courses.