Articles for students and families transitioning into higher education.
Creating an Effective Study Workspace at Home
It is a great idea to look at either identifying a quiet space in your house that you can use to pursue your academic studies. This might include having access to a study when it’s free, or making your bedroom a study space if you have parents or siblings also working from home in the same house. Wherever your workspace, try to ensure that your space is comfortable, ergonomically safe and has minimal distractions, and there are some tips below on how to achieve an effective study workspace:
Make sure that you have access to all the things you need to succeed in your studies, including your laptop, tablet, pens, notepads, folders, notes and textbooks, and to keep all these things near or at your study area. You can also use earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones to listen to music, audiobooks or podcasts or to keep your study environment free of distractions.
Set up a backup tool, like a cloud server or have a USB flash drive nearby, to save your work as you go along, and so if anything happens to your laptop, you don’t need to stress over losing valuable assignments or data for your essays or assessments.
Try to ensure that your equipment is set up and in good working order to the examiner’s requirements in advance of any University or College assignment or assessment.
Tips for how to set up an ergonomically safe workspace
Posture: A really important thing to note is that sitting with your back straight, feet flat on the floor and with your knees, ankles, hips and elbows at 90-degree angles. This is to avoid both awkward postures that could potentially lead to muscle injuries and repetitive strain injuries and can also help you to concentrate on the task at hand. Try to avoid slouching when you’re studying, particularly if you’re spending long stretches of time in the same workspace, as this can also cause stiffness and strains in your neck and back. A laptop stand, access to a monitor, or a separate mouse and keyboard can all help you to maintain posture and prevent potential injuries.
Lighting: Try to study in a room that has plenty of bright, natural light, particularly if you’re reading or working on a laptop. Low light can cause your eyes to strain and this can make your eyes tired or sore. Try to give your eyes break from looking at the screen for a few minutes every hour or so.
Move: Taking a 5-10 minute break every hour can help you to avoid strain or injury. Try to get up and move around at regular intervals throughout the day. This might include having movement breaks every 30 minutes to give your body to the chance to relax your muscles and to regulate yourself with your sensory environment.
