7 tools to keep you productive while studying at home

When it comes to studying, we all have our little routines and strategies. Some like to sit at a desk holding a pen, while others prefer to lay back and cover themselves with a blanket. Some would even choose to study at school, surrounded by their teachers and peers.

While we might all have our own preferred methods of studying, however, we all face one common problem: the struggle to stay productive the whole time.

Studying at home, in particular, can make it even more difficult. Luckily, there is a solution, in the form of certain tools designed specifically to help one stay productive. Let’s take a look at some of them together.

1. Trello – Staying organised

First things first: planning. Each step of your study process must be meticulously planned out. This is the best way to ensure maximum productivity and success.

To plan your study process, make use of an organisational tool such as Trello, which helps you:

• Organise your studying process
• Divide it into stages
• Create steps for each stage
• Set reminders
• Prioritise and rearrange

This will help you create the best possible workflow and use your time wisely. It will keep you organised, hardworking and productive, as well as minimise time-wasting.

2. OFFTIME – Removing distractions

In a world where social media and the internet keeps us all connected 24/7 every single day, it is difficult to stay disconnected. Your phone is constantly beeping, buzzing and ringing. Therefore, the only way to really be productive is to remove these distractions while you study.

However, this is not – for many – an easy task to undertake by oneself. OFFTIME is a useful tool to turn to when you need to switch off digital interruptions and distractions.       

OFFTIME is an app available for both Android and iOS. It will help you:

• Block social media apps
• Block calls and messages
• Block games
• Schedule the blocking period to coincide with your study time

This way, your phone will remain silent during the entire study period. Once you finish, you can check out what you've missed.

3. Toggl – Tracking study time

When studying, it is important to set certain time limitations for yourself. You don’t want to spend the entire day studying something that could have been done in two highly productive hours.

To make the best use of your efforts and resources, you can use a psychology trick on yourself and track your time using Toggl. Toggl is a tool that can:

• Track the time you spend on each project
• Give you a report on the amount of time you spent doing different activities
• Work across different devices to ensure you can use it where ever you are

With Toggl, you’ll be reminded that it’s study time and not the time for fun, leisure, or distractions. You’ll thus feel obligated to continue studying, until you meet your goals and get all your work done.

4. Evernote - Taking notes actively

Studying from home includes watching online lessons and presentations, as well as browsing the web for resources and information. With all the work that needs to be done and information that needs to be processed, it can be hard to keep your notes well-organised.

If you attempt the old-fashioned way of taking notes – by hand using a notebook – you’ll probably end up wasting a lot of time. Evernote, on the other hand, allows you to:

• Clip web pages
• Add images
• Type your notes
• Edit documents
• Save voice messages
• Reorganise your notes
• Classify them according to separate studying projects

Evernote will change the way you take notes and help you stay organised. As a result, you'll experience a noticeable productivity boost.

5. Spotify - Listening to focus music

Music is said to have the ability to help people stay mentally sharp. If you've never tried studying with so-called “distracting” music playing in the background, now is the time to break out those speakers. If you've already tried and you know it works for you, make sure you download Spotify.

Spotify will help you find the best study music that your brain enjoys listening to. Most people choose the following:

• Instrumental music
• Classic jazz
• Blues
• Classical music

Listening to music while studying can help you:

• Focus
• Stay alert
• Stay active
• Increase productivity

Give it a try and see where it takes you!

6. Google Calendar - Sticking to a schedule

As mentioned earlier, in order for you to stay productive, you need to stay organised. Another great tool that can help you do exactly that is Google Calendar.

This tool is designed to provide an easy-to-use, free-of-charge schedule making platform, for those of you who need to spice up your study time with some extra organisation. To put it simply: it’s the ultimate schedule making app.

Not only will it keep you informed and remind you of the things you’ve got to do, but it will also ensure that you keep working hard, without losing sight of your study obligations.

7. Skype - Finding a study buddy

There are, of course, some people who prefer studying with a companion. However, when practising remote learning, some sort of online tool is necessary to keep you and your study buddy in contact.

The good, old Skype platform is a perfect choice. It allows you to:

• Make calls
• Chat
• Exchange notes
• Share screens

If a study buddy is what you need to stay productive, then Skype is the tool to go for.

Be optimistic

Studying from home can be challenging. But, with the right tools, this process will run much more smoothly and your productivity will increase. Keep up the great work!