How to Be Productive at Home as a Student

Here's how to get motivated in your student house 👇

Whilst this blog originally helped students on how to be productive in self-isolation, the study-from-home lifestyle has now become a normal part of the university experience. Whether you have writer’s block or you’re getting stressed over a deadline, there are many ways you can stay productive in your own space. Here are our top tips.

How to be productive as a student at home

Stick to a routine

Sticking to a routine can make or break your time at home. A routine sets the foundation for a positive day (even if you don’t get anything done). Try to keep things as close to normal as possible, like getting up, eating healthy meals, and sleeping at normal times. Create a calendar with work you need to tackle or use a planner to work towards deadlines.

It can be easy to fall into unhealthy patterns, so ask someone in your house to be your accountability partner. This way, you’re more likely to keep to a routine.

Preserve a healthy environment

A healthy environment is a happy environment (and a productive one…). Create a rota for cleaning your student house and tackling your weekly food shop (complete with all your essential vitamins and minerals!).

Keeping on top of your chores and staying healthy will give you a clearer mindset when it comes to hitting the books in your student house.

Update your CV

Updating your CV doesn’t take long, but it’ll give you a massive push in the right direction. You’ll feel pretty smug after you’ve done it too (and then you can binge-watch Netflix guilt-free).

Put away some time to brush up on your old CV, or create a brand new one. CV-Library has some great resources on how to properly update your CV, so you can make the most out of every graduate job application.

Make some extra cash

Why not make some additional cash while bored on your student house sofa? Here are a few ways you can make some extra income:

• Go freelance on sites like Fiverr. Sell the things you're good at to people who need your services.
• Online surveys are also an easy way to pocket some coins. One good site is LifePoints, but you'll find loads of others online.
• Cashback sites are perfect if you're looking to earn some passive income. These sites literally pay you for using their referral links, so next time you want to order something online, use a cashback site for a kicker. TopCashback is a great place to start.
• Alternatively, fire off some applications for a part-time job. You’ll improve your social skills and might meet some friends along the way!

Finish your uni work

We know, you don’t want to hear it, but it’s got to be done. Set aside a few hours every day to tackle your uni work and assignments (excluding the weekend, obvs). Stay in touch with your course mates and do it together over FaceTime or invite them around; that way, you can keep each other accountable.

If you’re struggling for motivation, try the pomodoro technique – working for 25 minutes and then taking a short break – which is proven to help with productivity.

Prioritise

Write down everything you need to do and decide which tasks you want to prioritise. Your urgent coursework deadline will likely take a higher place on the list than rearranging your bookshelf, so make sure you take on the most important tasks first!

Tackling tasks one by one can help you start whittling down the items on your to-do list without burning out early on.

Let yourself relax

With all this being said, remember that it’s okay to relax. Uni can be a stressful time, so if you feel like having a sofa day, don’t beat yourself up about it. Fancy binging Netflix? Let yourself! Want to sit in the garden with a bev at 11 AM? Do it! Just make sure you find a balance between work and play.

Sort out your student accommodation

If you haven’t sorted out next year’s student accommodation yet, then you're in luck... with UniHomes, you can do it straight from your sofa. Our letting agents are offering virtual tours for most of the properties on our site, so you could have your accommodation sorted in no time.

Read our blog on how to find the perfect home and find out more about our student bill packages.