Staying motivated is a big factor that students rely on with online studies. Procrastination is the enemy, and one students can fall victim to easily without set timelines, or people pushing them to do said work. Luckily, there are ways to stay motivated and maintain or improve grades or this new way of life.

One way is to make a to-do list. Lots of people use planners religiously when it comes to school work, and if you have not made the switch yet, now is the time. Writing out a list of things you want to accomplish in a day can be very helpful. This way, everything that needs to be done is laid out and can be checked off and one goes about their day. 

Another way to break the procrastination loop of ‘five more minutes’ or ‘it is 10:31, I guess I had better wait until 11:00 to start now’ is to set alarms on a phone. This is effective because most of the time, what is keeping people from being productive is their phone. Once the alarm goes off, dedicate an hour or so to doing one task. After, you might find you have gotten into a flow and keep working. 

It is no secret that many students may also be struggling since no one is there to keep them in check or remind them to start school-work. The comfort of one’s home may make it difficult to flip the switch into thinking about school. However, according to medium.com, it is a very important step.

 “Technically, home and work are in the same place right now… try to separate them as much as possible. If you can, have a dedicated “work” room in your house. Get as separate as possible, try not to work from your bedroom. Once you start working in a room frequently, you’ll find that whenever you try to relax and enjoy yourself in that room, you’ll only be able to think of work,” the website claims. 

To-do lists, alarms and a new workspace are just three ways to try to get motivated and stop procrastinating. In the end, it comes down to a decision to get up and do it. Consider starting now, as there is no time better than the present. Apply one or all of these methods to your new shelter-at-home routine, and hopefully break the cycle of procrastination.