Working at home over the Holidays

We're looking forward to heading home for the holidays - most of us will get to see and spend time with our families.

Although it initially may seem nice; back to your bedroom, home cooked dinners, surrounded by loved ones… it might be quite distracting to get work done. The temptation to binge watch Christmas TV or overindulge and put it off until tomorrow. I mean... it's what we've all been doing for the last month anyway.

If you do fall into this trap, you’ll find that it’ll be days before your hand in and you’ll be panicking that you haven’t been as productive as you could have.

Not to worry! Here’s our top tips for home studying!

Booking out some time in your diary for when you’re going to work can be really helpful, and letting others know that's what you’re doing so they can let you crack on with work without distracting you (no matter how tempting the Wallace and Gromit rerun is).

If you can’t resist the annual tradition of The Wrong Trousers, work towards it. If there is something you really want to do, start in the morning and break to take part. Or, decide you can only sit down to watch it if you’ve finished the next chapter.

Reward yourself for the work you’ve done.

If you have a few thousand word essays to write, break it down instead. It can be overwhelming to think ‘I have to write 3000 words by the end of the week!’ Instead think ‘I have to write 500 words today’ for five days. When you break it down into smaller chunks, it can feel much more manageable.

However much you’ve convinced yourself you can write an essay in bed - you can’t. Get to a place where you can actually work, like the kitchen table, or somewhere quiet. Be in an environment where you can actually get some work done.

No, not rolls of dice, or little figures, Do Not Disturb! Turn off your phone, ask people not to bother you and get on with it!

I mean, it is the holidays, and you need to recharge before the New Year. So do take some time off, some time to see family and loved ones, and some time for you - you deserve it!

If you're staying in Portsmouth for the Christmas break, for whatever reason, there is no need to feel like you are going through this alone. Let us and the University know you are staying in Portsmouth by filling out this form.