For those whose academic year hasn’t quite ended yet, we wanted to let you know your Student Engagement Team are still on hand to help you. From our virtual UniSkills support (Available on our web pages 24/7), to our Student Advisor Social Media Takeover from 16^th-20^th August, there’s plenty to develop your skills ahead of any upcoming Summer Assessments you may have.

Are you enrolling at Edge Hill University this autumn? Would you like to get a head start on your academic skills? Or perhaps you’re worrying about the transition into studying in higher education (HE). Well, if you are joining Edge Hill this year we would love to welcome you at one (or all!) of our Getting Started With UniSkills Webinars.

Thank you so much to those who have participated in this year’s #StudyHappyWeek competition, it’s been fascinating to see your creative home study setups and even a few furry friends (we’re looking at you Hank, Rocky and Rio)!

Having gathered all of your brilliant entries across Twitter and Instagram, we’re pleased to announce the following winners:

🏆1st Place: @MissBolton8 winning a £30 Amazon eVoucher

🏆2nd Place: @MissDundon winning a £10 Amazon eVoucher

🏆3rd Place: @MissShakeshaft winning a £10 Amazon eVoucher

And for those still in need of some study space inspiration, we’ve collated a few more of your submissions…

Sim

Sim told us that ‘…regarding students having to transition to blended learning is that it might be daunting and troublesome initially but it is important to adapt to the situation we are in and make the most of the experience using available resources since we are already in this scenario and if need be, do not be hesitant in asking for help if they need it!“

Elizabeth

Elizabeth’s new desk has really helped her productivity and I think it’s fair to say we are all missing campus cat! 🐈

“blended learning [is] definitely a big adjustment but luckily I’ve a support network of great friends and really approachable tutors who are all happy to help me. I do miss face to face teaching though (and the campus cat!)”

Laura

Laura says sweets are essential study companions for student nurses! 🏥🍬

Miss Bolton

“Blending learning has been hard, but taking time to come to the library gets me motivated to keep working!”

Again, thank you all for taking part in #StudyHappyWeek, and for sharing your inspiring #MyEHUStudyHappySpace’s. Keep your eyes on our social media for your next campaign coming in December, as we prepare to keep you motivated right through to New Year 🥳

I am really enjoying the move to blended learning, it’s nice to be able to work through study materials at my own pace and direct myself more. If I am reading through presentation slides and there is something that really interests me or something I don’t fully understand, I can go and research and come back to the presentation when I am ready. It has given me a lot more control and responsibility over my studies. My tutors have also been amazing with providing support over e-mail and through online meetings, so I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything. There were a few teething problems at first with getting used to new technology but now that everything is settled, I’m happy with my new study arrangements. As I prefer to do most of my studying at home anyway, with blended learning I’ve been spending even more time here, so I have made myself a little study nook to work in. It’s got everything I need to stay comfy and relaxed so I can be as productive as possible. :

My Five Top Tips for Studying Happy

This semester a lot different than other years and we’re all adapting to a new way of learning, blended learning, that combines online and in-person sessions. And it is fair to say that most of us will be spending a lot of time studying at home. So, for this unique Study Happy week, here are my top five tips for staying happy and motivated when working from home!

1. Keep your workspace separated from your recreational spaces

This might be harder for those in halls because your workspace is in your bedroom, but it’s not impossible. When I was in halls, I made sure that my desk was reserved for work and everywhere else was for chilling out. If you can’t allocate a specific space for studying, try to allocate somewhere, like your bed, for relaxing. I find that having designated areas for working and relaxing helps me switch my brain into the right mode. Trying to work in a place where you relax can make focusing harder and trying to relax in a study-zone can make switching off harder too. Finding ways to help you get into the right mindset is important and designating a specific study-space helps me with that a lot, so it’s the first thing I’d recommend for students to adopt now that a lot of us will be studying from home more frequently.

2. Try out a procrastination-beating browser extension

First thing I should mention is that you should always be careful when installing things to your computer and check reviews/ratings of browser extensions before you try them. But if you have trouble managing your time and avoiding distractions, like social media, there are plenty of browser extensions that might help. Most of them work by blocking or restricting your access to certain websites but there are lots of different ways they do this. Some will block all websites for a set amount of time or at a specific time, some let you block or restrict specific sites and some block everything except the ones you add to a whitelist. There’s a lot of variety and they can be a lot of help if you find it hard to concentrate when you’re working alone without anyone to chastise you for watching cat videos instead of finishing that essay!

3. Get in a group chat!

Most people benefit from sharing ideas and talking ideas through together. When you’re spending less time with peers it might seem like you’ll miss out on that, but you don’t have to. Think about joining a group chat or setting up a study group. BlackBoard Collaborate (available on the VLE) allows screen-sharing so you can go through presentation slides together and work with other people. It also allows video and audio chat as well as text chat so you can pick whatever is most comfortable for you. A group chat can recreate some of the environment and collaboration of seminars and working with friends in general can help with keeping motivated. If you’re a more social worker, this might be a good thing to try out!

4. Audiobooks!

My course requires a LOT of reading, and one of the ways I get it done even when I’m not feeling up to it is with audiobooks. I like to listen to an audiobook whilst reading a physical copy/e-book because I find that it keeps me focused. This has come in handy a lot with online learning because it helps me manage my time better (since most audiobooks will say how long they take to listen too) so you can plan your reading more effectively and get through books more efficiently.

5. Talk to your tutors and get support from UniSkills!

Less face-to-face time doesn’t have to mean less support. You can contact your tutors via e-mail if you need help or even ask to set up a virtual meeting if you need to discuss your studies at length. And don’t forget about UniSkills! Although the support we offer might look a little different this year, we’re still here to help! We’ve moved a lot of our support online and have introduced Webinars, online seminars, that provide guidance for all things academic. From referencing to finding online resources, we’re adapting to distancing so you can get the support you need from the comfort of your home to make this year a great one!

That’s it for now! Even though this year is shaping up to be a bit unique, there are ways to make adapting to this style of learning easier. I hope my tips gave you some ideas to try out that will help you Study Happy this year!

I love blended learning! At first, I really struggled to adapt to working from home, with a new puppy and so many distractions it was a really big step away from what I was used to. I was quite overwhelmed over having to go through lectures myself however, I find it so much easier! It allows me to go through these lectures in my own time, which helps for topics I find more difficult. I usually commuted to University, so only being in one day a week makes so much more time to do more research for my modules and start to plan my assignments! Using weekly planners has really helped me to adapt to blended learning, as I provide myself a plan of what to do throughout the week and what goals I want to achieve! This has provided me some stability to ensure I am working throughout the day without getting distracted and also allows me to plan some ‘downtime’, whether this is walking my dog or catching up on Bake Off, which really helps to keep me motivated because I know when I get my next break!

My biggest struggle with blended learning was finding a space to do my studying, I tried to work from bed, but this left me unmotivated, but I moved away from my bed and onto a desk and it has improved my motivation to work! One of the best pieces of advice I could give for blended learning, is separate your sleep space from your workspace, getting out of bed and to a desk or table will make it a lot easier to concentrate on the task at hand! Adding my own personality to the space, with photos and decorations, makes me enjoy getting up and getting to my desk and I would advise everyone to do the same to make it more homely!

MY FIVE TOP STUDY HAPPY TIPS!

This year has led to a very different approach to University due to blended learning, with a lot of work being online it can be quite difficult to get motivated and if you are like me, you can find yourself procrastinating a lot. University is very different this year and can feel overwhelming, however, I have come up with a few Top Tips to make the move towards blended learning a little easier!

1. Make a schedule!

Your University Timetable will look a little different this year, with a mixture of on campus and online learning including live and pre-recorded lectures. Try to make your own timetable – there are resources available on Uniskills which will help you with this. This will help you keep on top of everything you need to do throughout the week, instead of panicking and doing everything before your face to face session. This is also really helpful for when deadlines start to arrive as you can prepare for these in advance.

2. Use the Pomodoro Technique!

This method means you focus your time in short bursts, around 25 minutes, and then take a short break. During this time, you fully concentrate on the task at hand, with no distractions. It helps to put your phone somewhere you cannot access it, such as a drawer in your bedside cabinet and download free apps such as ‘Pomodoro’ to help with this.

3. Keep your space tidy!

Whether you’re working in your bedroom, kitchen or any space in between, keep your space organised. A messy workspace will act as a further distraction! I find keeping on top of my workspace keeps me more motivated. A tidy room really does mean a tidy mind!

4. Get in touch with your course mates!

Speak to your course mates as much as you can, use sites such as ‘Zoom’ and ‘Microsoft Teams’ to have study sessions. These can help answer questions you might have regarding the topics you are studying and are also really important if you have group work. Studying doesn’t have to be something you do alone, having study sessions can make it more fun!

5. Don’t Panic!

Things are different this year and there will be challenges but there are people to help you with whatever you are struggling with. Uniskills is here to help you with any issues you may have about Returning to Learning. All this week you can also join Lauren and myself in our Moving Forward With UniSkills webinars, where we will look at referencing toolkits and guides – book your place today: ehu.ac.uk/workshops