Written by Cieran Lennon-Hunte, MDX Student and MDXSU's Commuter Intern

I know this is a difficult time for many and some of us may be finding it hard to find things to do or to get into a study routine that is effective. I know sometimes hearing or reading about what someone else is doing can also help and give people ideas so I thought I would share what I do with you.  

What I’m doing to keep myself happy and motivated to study

Being motivated and happy to study  in general can be very challenging. During a time like this it can definitely become harder. Due to this many of us are finding new ways to keep ourselves occupied and new ways to revise.  

What I find works for me is interval revision!  tend to work in blocks of 45minutes-1hr depending on the task or if it’s quite a lengthy task I will break it down and complete each broken section bit by bit. For essays I’ll break down the question and spend the first day researching and finding materials for the essay,  then lay out a rough plan of bullet points stating what I'm going to include. This leaves me prepared for the following day where I would write it up following my research and my plan. Then finally the third day I would read the work one last time as I may have thought of new ideas during the time of it being written and the next day which I would then include. This works for me and hopefully you can try it out and see if it works for you. The same technique  can be applied to other tasks as well such as pieces of Artwork, spreadsheets and/or presentations. Below are some other revision techniques depending on what you like, if you are a visual learner etc.  

Keeping motivated is difficult especially during a time like this where we may be stuck into the same routine everyday so I tend to change it up and alter my routine slightly. I may work for 4 days one week and take 3 days off to just relax by playing PS4 or just socializing with the family and the next week I may work 7 days but only work on all 7 of the days from 10-3 leaving plenty of time to chill afterwards. It all depends on how much work you have / think you are capable of doing and what you prefer.  

How I look after my well- being  

I love sports so in a time like this with no sports being aired on TV and not being able to physically take part in sports makes me finding other things to do quite challenging as everything I do involves going outside. What I tend to do now is wake up no later than 10am and go for a jog around the block or my local park. In order to keep fit and active and it’s actually a great way to take your mind off of things and to wake yourself up. Once I return home I will relax for a little and then start my studies, after completing my revision for the day I would then go into my garden to do some ball work whether it’s kick ups or just dribbling through some objects that are supposed to replicate cones and then just relax for the rest of the day. This keeps me active and gives me my daily exercise whilst following the government guidelines of social distancing. This routine can be adapted to suit anyone else who may need a little help finding something that works for them. 

Below are some links to things you can do and what others are doing during this difficult period.  

• www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/50-things-home-during-coronavirus-17982944 
• www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/25-things-youre-stuck-home-21780590 
• www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/51904789