Learning online is flexible and easily accessible from home, but are you able to study effectively at home or do you struggle to get started? If you have just begun an online course and find it difficult to stay focused, then don’t fear as we’ve gathered 5 top tips for you to create an ideal working environment for home study.

1. Pick a space

If you don’t have a home office, then make sure to pick a quiet space to work within your home. A quiet place will help you to focus on your online course and eliminate any distractions from inside and outside of the house. Mark A.W. Andrews, former director of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine stated, “Background or low-level noise in the home, work or school often disrupts people’s concentration. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, ambient noise also affects people’s health by increasing general stress levels and aggravating stress-related conditions such as high blood pressure, coronary disease, peptic ulcers and migraine headaches. Continued exposure does not lead to habituation; in fact, the effects worsen” Make sure to keep your quiet space for studying only and to take breaks and relax somewhere else. Over time your brain will be able to recognise your study space as a place to concentrate, which will help you to study more effectively.

2. Oragnise yourself

Studying a qualification online may take months or even years to complete, so you need to make sure you stay organised. Create a study schedule to plan out your workload with other commitments. In order to complete your work efficiently without stress, you need to set yourself deadlines to help you stay on track with your course, studying and exams or assessments. Avado courses give you a series of milestones to help you plan your studies and stay on track. Don’t forget to organise your files and study notes as you go along to make revision or assessment preparation easier.

3. Turn off distractions

Make sure to turn off any gadgets that may be interrupting your workflow such as the constant pinging of notifications on your phone from social media or the TV playing in the background. This will detract from your productivity and effectiveness. Keep your gadgets as a reward once you take a break, this will help you to focus and make sure you complete work.

4. Celebrate little wins

It’s important to celebrate small wins when studying as this will help you want to progress throughout your course, rather than the course becoming a mundane routine. If you have completed an activity or a small test, then reward yourself by taking a 10-15-minute break. This will help you with your productivity and make you feel happier and more focused as you study. When you hit a larger milestone, like completing a unit or mock assessment, reward yourself with a night off or fun activity.

5. Network

When studying by yourself, you can feel cut off from the world. Avado courses enable students to study as a group, interacting during live online classes and on the campus forum. This helps you to build confidence, learn collaboratively and share knowledge. To make home study more enjoyable, make sure to network with other students through classes, forums and social networks.

Home study doesn’t need to be a chore, you just have to find an effective way to stay focused and make your online course enjoyable. If you’re thinking about progressing in your career and want to gain a qualification from the comfort of your home, check out Avado’s range of courses that will help you kick start your career.