News

Tips for Studying at Home

Published: 10:42 AM on April 10, 2020

For the past few weeks, we have been transitioning our face-to-face classes online. The experience of remote learning may already be familiar to some, but strange and confusing to others.

With this in mind, here are a few tips (or reminders) so you can maximize the experience of studying from home.

1. Keep your workspace clear

Make sure that your workspace is in a different location from your relaxation area. This helps to set a distinction, psychologically, between study and recreation. Keep distractions in the area at a minimum and use a desk/chair setup versus laying on your bed or sofa. You can even consider changing your location regularly to escape the monotony of your surroundings. 

2. Check your lecture/webinar schedule

By now, most if not all of our eligible sessions have been transferred to online delivery. Check our designated online class schedule page, your lecturer and course administrators for details on timings and which platform your lecture will be hosted on. Also, dress as you normally would for classes as this helps your mental preparation for the lectures. 

Here are some additional points on attending webinars:

  • Make sure you know how to use the platform before your session.
  • Be on time. You might not disrupt the presentation by logging in late, but you could miss important information.
  • Turn off your webcam and mute your microphone during the presentation. You may appear on other people’s screens without you realizing.
  • Ask questions concisely to save time, and only post comments if you think they’ll be helpful to others.
  • Don’t use the chat room for socializing as this can be very distracting to others.

3. Order your day

A little structure goes a long way in helping you improve your studying at home. So, plan out a schedule for your day.

To help, you can consider:

  • What time is my online class scheduled for?
  • Is there any preparation work I need to do beforehand?
  • What time(s) of the day am I better focussed for studies?

As you go through your day, take regular breaks and stretches to give your eyes and body rest and relief. And remember to eat healthily, stay hydrated and get enough sleep.

4. Make sure you can access your resources

A vast array of resources are being made available to you virtually at this time. Make sure you make local copies of class and study files on your device. While cloud storage is convenient, just in case your internet connection is disrupted, download files as a backup. Where your lecture requires specialist software, liaise with your lecturer or classmates if you’re getting problems with sourcing or installing the program.

5. Contact us for assistance

Though apart, we’re still connected. Our teams continue to provide support for you while you’re away from campus. Make use of virtual enquiry channels, like online chat and email. 

6. Stay social

Many platforms used for online learning can also be used for virtual socializing. You can use a Zoom video chat to study online as a group, but also for hosting cooking sessions or exercise activities. Make use of the plethora of social tools (Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, TikTok, Facebook etc) to create or reinforce your support network during this time.


Keep pace with the pulse of the SBCS community via our social media pages on Instagram and Facebook.​ And, as always, stay safe, exercise proper hygiene and please continue to follow our COVID-19 web page for information, campus updates, and of course, online course schedules.

Category: News