There is no telling how long this lockdown will go on. Most courses are ongoing with students studying and submitting academic projects from home. The end of lectures and the inability to attend libraries has made life difficult for the country’s students. With exams imminent, some are deeply anxious about how the rest of the year is going to go. But there are ways to adapt to this new normal.

Create a Home Office Zone

This is much more difficult for students than it is for homeowners and other renters. Typically, you have a room rather than the run of a whole flat. Yet it is possible to create a viable home office space. Treat it as though you are working in an office – set it out like a work desk, including personal items. The idea is to create a physical as well as a head space from which you can disconnect when not working. One idea is to clear away when you’re not studying so it becomes personal space again.

Have a Work Plan

Anyone with exams coming up should always have a study plan or work plan. This is no different from your GCSEs or A-levels. When largely stuck at home, we appreciate how much more difficult this is. At least before the lockdown you could go out wherever and whenever. You can still go outside but you’re not allowed to spend too much time outside the home. For some, the lockdown makes it easy to create a mentality of never taking a break. For others, it can lead to complacency in putting off watching virtual lectures and forget about them.

Get Some Fresh Air

This should always go without saying when studying. You need breaks, you need fresh air, you need daylight. Too little and you’ll be irritable and tired, but you might struggle to sleep. The human brain works best with variety and when it is given time to recharge and relax. Don’t feel guilty about going into the garden to read a book for an hour and ensure you get some exercise; you might find you study better for it. Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D which helps us feel alive and energetic.

Get Creative with Social Time

Use the internet to your advantage: while person to person and group video chat has seen a massive uptake in the last few months, it’s not the only social avenue to pursue. There are still message boards, WhatsApp groups, social media groups for students and much more. Make good use of these not just to talk to your friends, but to strangers in the same situation. The web has created a global community of students and the one thing that unites every one of them in the country right now is this pandemic.