Studying If You Need To Self-Isolate

The government states that anybody who has symptoms of coronavirus must self-isolate at home for 10 days, or 14 if someone in their household has symptoms. If you’re a student who has to suddenly self-isolate, you might be worried about keeping on track of your schoolwork. But to self-isolate does not have to mean failure; there’s plenty you can do at home to stay on top of your game.

Look After Yourself

The most important thing you can do is to take care of your health. Rest and stay hydrated while you wait for the symptoms to pass. Make sure to wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds, too. It’s also important to look after your mental wellbeing. Maintain a daily routine, as best as you can, and set some time aside to virtually connect with friends and family.

Stay in Touch With Teachers

Even if you’re not able to do any studying because of coronavirus symptoms, you can still check in with your teachers to find out what you will miss when you are having to self-isolate. Keep a note of each topic and subject, so that when your isolation period is over, you know exactly where you need to start.

Make A Catch-Up Plan

If you try and cover two weeks’ worth of material on the first day after isolation, you won’t have much success! The best thing you can do is schedule a 30-minute catch-up session each day, with one or two rest days per week. Ideally, you should work on your catch-up in the evenings, but if you’re a morning person, you might prefer to get up half an hour earlier each day. By breaking your catch-up topics down into smaller, manageable sessions, you are far more likely to A) absorb the material, and B) stick with it.

Assess Your Learning

Research shows that Metacognition is a powerful tool for students to improve the quality of their learning. When you’re pushed for time, using metacognition strategies can really improve how well you retain information and encourage deep learning. Start by being honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses in each subject. Always start with your weaker areas first, before moving on to topics that you’re more confident with. Check out this recent post on Metacognition for more information.

Keep on Top of Exam Changes

Recently, the exam regulator, Ofqual, announced big changes to this years’ GCSE exams, including fewer topics for English Literature, Ancient History and History. Speak with your teachers or check your exam board to make sure that if there are any changes to your specification, you are fully aware of them. You don’t want to waste time studying topics if you don’t need to.

Stay Motivated

If the thought of catch-up sessions fills you with dread, you can find plenty of inspiration and motivation online. Try this list of motivational quotes from Daniel Wong, or watch this three-minute video by Keshav Bhatt. Don’t forget that by studying today, you are creating a much brighter tomorrow.