Read on Twitter
Seeing lots of uni students (understandably) freaking out on my tl about difficulty focusing on coursework/revision during a pandemic. Here is a thread of some techniques that help(ed) me as a finalist during the first lockdown, and as a masters student during the 3rd lockdown
1) Delete your social media apps on your phone. There is a lot of negativity (esp on twitter) and I for one am a sucker for doom scrolling. If you can't make this leap, put time limits on them, or take frequent breaks (not multiple times a day, but for a few days at a time)
2) Download the forest app. I use the free version (but the pro version is a little over a pound and gets rid of any ads). You can set a timer of how long you intend to spend focused, and the app plants a 'tree'. If you leave the 'forest' to go on another app, your tree dies :(
3) Give yourself realistic expectations for your day. If you're particularly struggling on one day, allow yourself breaks: go on a walk, watch Netflix, take a nap, have a bath. Forcing productivity when your mind is racing/foggy will not work, and will only lead you to feel worse
3.ii) setting realistic to do lists, with some 'easy wins' will help trick your brain into feeling productive, and might help with tackling the longer, more arduous tasks.
4) use your network of fellow uni students to share notes, resources, articles, essays etc. Post on forums, groupchats, or dm: from experience, ppl tend to be v generous with sharing resources in a pandemic. If u r uncomfortable asking things publicly (like on a uni subject page)
4.ii) [cont], message a friend and ask if they will do it on your behalf. If your uni doesn't have a subject page on FB (or equivalent), consider making one for the purpose of sharing advice/resources!
5) When writing essays, my fave quote by Olivia Remes is: 'do it badly'. Procrastination often comes from the fear of not being good enough, so putting off trying at all. Start a draft of your essay and let it be rubbish. Get words onto a page. It will feel amazing. Fix it later
5.ii) Since using Word since like 2007, only JUST found the 'focus' feature on Word, but it's a game changer. It gets rid of the extra marginalia and leaves you with just the page. Good for proofreading/editing.
6) How can you write anything w/out resources first? I hear you! Lack of libs is killing me too atm. Some good resources for online texts/databases (for humanities students) are: MLA bibliographies - good for searching for relevant texts in the first place
6.ii) [cont] https://archive.org/ has some online copies of books and the British Library (free and no membership required) has some digitised manuscripts/versions of certain works - worth checking these out for primary material.
6.iii) [cont] Amazon sometimes has a 'peak inside' feature on some books (dire, I know, but have gleaned some quotes using this); Google books/scholar; Jstor; often Oxford University Press/ Cambridge University Press editions of books have online versions (not always)
6.iiii) [cont] PEER REVIEWED ARTICLES. We love to hate them. BUT: if you know of a certain text you want but can't get hold of, reviews are good for gleaning the argument and providing some choice quotations (good for open book exams more than coursework I'd say)
7) You can use footnotes to highlight limited access esp if there is an important book you want to show you are aware of, but can't view: Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the recent lockdown restrictions, I have been unable to consult the physical copy of this test in [x]
8) need to block out sound of others working from home but music is distracting? ASMR rooms are your friend: There are thousands on YouTube: ambiance inside of library/cafe noise; Harry Potter sounds of Hogwarts library/common room/grounds on a sunny day-whatever takes your fancy
9) Realise your limits & recognise when you need help. Every uni is different, but where I'm doing my master's (KCL) has been generous in granting extensions for coursework deadlines. This won't be the same everywhere, but look into your uni's mitigating circumstances process.
END OF THREAD. I realise none of this is ground-breaking, but hopefully reassuring that completing your degree in a pandemic, whilst shit, is doable. And hey: you may even make the mistake of signing up to do a 2nd one as the pandemic worsens - just for a laugh - like me!
BONUS: Forgot a good one that I love: set up a 'library session' over zoom/Teams with a friend and work together. Having someone on screen helps hold yourself accountable and actually do work instead of going on your phone. Could be distracting if u are prone to chat a lot tho.
Wow! Didn't expect this to blow up so much. Would like to add: check the quote tweets of the beginning of this thread. Several lovely people have added further suggestions, esp on how to find reading. What a lovely lil academic community
