I’m about to go into the last unit of study of my degree before I become a registered nurse. This unit will bring together all the content I’ve learnt over the last three years and (hopefully) prepare me for the big, bad world. I’ve always been a procrastinator (I talk more about this in my post: Adjusting to Studying Online) but with everyone in lock down, I’m feeling a lack of social interaction and very unmotivated to get back into studying.
Half of my first semester was taught online and there are a few things I’ve been doing to stay on top of my studies during this crazy time. It is important to note that information regarding the spread of the COVID-19 virus and restrictions on travel and movement are developing and changing. Any information within this post is correct at the time of publication (23 April 2020).
Get Organised
Get your supplies! I’m only doing one unit so I have one notebook, my diary, a textbook, my laptop and phone. I know a lot of people just type notes on their laptop but I need to write it out on paper to get any information in my head. Now is a good time to buy this stuff online – stay at home! The most important step: I write all the assessment due dates in my diary and calendar.
Get Learning
At university, we work using a flipped classroom model. This means that the student (that’s me) does all the week’s work before the online tutorial. Organisation is key as you generally have to stay a week ahead of the content but I mainly use organising as a way to procrastinate. I’m not sure how everyone else studies but I generally do something like this:
- Watch the week’s lecture/s.
- Do the week’s readings.
- Complete any extra activities.
When I’m doing my readings I struggle to concentrate. It’s a lot of detail. I’ve been using the pomodoro method to study. Yes,… tomato method. I can’t recommend it enough.
Set Goals
I’ve been setting myself some goals during this time, mainly to give myself a reason to do anything other than stay in bed. My first goal is to learn a new medical term everyday. When I first started uni, I bought a copy of the Oxford Dictionary of Nursing which I have hardly used, thanks to Google. I learn a word from each letter section of the dictionary so I don’t only know words starting with ‘A’.
I also aim to have a new post on this blog every Thursday. This keeps me committed to something and gives me something to do outside of uni. I’ve also been trying to go to online yoga classes a few times a week which helps me to get out of bed and avoid sitting at my desk all day. I’m the most non-sporty person you’ll ever meet but it’s been really helpful for me during this time.
Get Relaxing
A lot of people have been talking about using this time as productively as possible. That’s great for some people but not me. I have learnt that if I am in the mindset of ‘go-go-go!’ all the time, I start to feel burnt out. While I’ve just been talking about how to get organised and productive, it’s important to check in with yourself and give yourself some time to relax. My mum and her team are all working from home and she gave them the best advice: ‘It’s very easy, now that we’re working from home, to never stop working but at the end of every day, pack up your desk and put your things away’. We’ve been spending more time as a family now that we are working from home. Recently, we’ve been working our way through the Harry Potter movies.
I hope this provides some helpful in-sights about what it’s like to study as a nursing student online during this time! If there are any study tips you have, I would love to hear them!
Daisy Azmi 