This article is sponsored by Domino's

It's been weird times for us all lately. We know you're staying safe and studying from home in this period, but it also means that procrastination can strike at any moment. Once you’re in its grasp, it’s tough crawling out of that vortex of ‘What Cheese Are You?’ quizzes and top 10 countdown videos on YouTube.

So, here are five tips for studying at home that you hopefully haven’t heard a million times before.

Get the blood pumping

Sitting down, distraction-free is all well and good, but when you need a break, it’s recommended to do some quick physical activity to get the blood flowing and give you a boost of motivation. It doesn't necessarily need to be a workout routine. You could try doing a handstand, learn a new Tik Tok dance or pump your go-to karaoke song and just jump around.

Talk to your family, friends or housemates

If you live with others, make sure to update them on what you’re doing. For example; “Hey mum, I’m going to do intense work for the next 45 minutes and you can’t let me leave my room”. You could do the same thing by messaging your friends, or even setting an alarm so that the reward for a period of hard work is some socialising. It’s all about keeping accountable, and the more people you tell that you’re going to be productive, the more likely you will be.

Set 1 task per hour

This might not be suitable for everyone, but, if you can break down what you need to do in hourly segments, you might find you’re more productive because you’re giving yourself small wins along the way. Your to-do list shouldn’t be “study maths”. Break it down by chapters per hour or revision questions per hour. You’ll find that you’re happier seeing a lot of items get crossed off your to-do list, rather than studying endlessly.

Smarter, not harder.

Hats off to Tik Tok user @rijhaa who taught us more than any professor could.

To summarise her video: Use voice typing in Google Docs to automatically write down your lecture recording or online class so you can focus on the content, instead of trying to write everything down.

It’s not perfect and you will need to make some edits but at least you can focus on learning in real-time, not typing what the teacher is saying. This also works like a charm for catching up on lecture recordings you may or may not have left until now…

Make virtual plans with friends

School isn’t just about learning in a classroom so taking classes from home shouldn’t be either. Make sure you’re still organising video catch-ups or phone calls with your friends so you can keep socially happy. You could watch movies together, play online games or just have the cameras on while each of you does your own thing.

Get the right study fuel

Studying on an empty stomach is not fun. Some would even say it’s counterproductive. Make sure you have your study snacks on hand to fuel your concentration, and what better study food than pizza, right?