Loving to learn in lockdown

Lockdowns have become a part of our everyday life. The good old days, of gathering with our friends down at our local study spot are becoming just a memory. Here at the CUC, we know it can be hard to find motivation for your studies and to feel somewhat normal in these unusual times.  To help you along your learning journey we’ve compiled some strategies to help you keep motivated. Learning to love lockdown can be tough, but learning in lockdown doesn’t have to be.

Get moving and learn to love your local area

Check your state restrictions and if you can, get outside and get your body moving. Go for a walk, do some yoga in the sun or if you want to stay home download an app or pick a workout with the help of YouTube. The ways to move your body are endless. Make it productive, blast your favourite Lady Gaga Album and dance like no one is watching, they’re probably doing the same thing!

Routine, routine, routine

Set a routine!  Say sayonara to the snooze button. Get out of bed. Commit to your alarm clock. Have a coffee and sit down at your desk! Schedule your day by chunking out time in your calendar into manageable times. Include exercise, zoom sessions, time for patting your dog and your studies. Lockdown can so easily become a streaming binge session and next thing you know it’s bedtime!  

Be productive and set goals. We know you can do it! 

Prioritise self-care

Yes, this one might sound easy, but really think about when was the last time you did something out of the ordinary for yourself? It has been a strange 18 months with restrictions happening around us, you probably haven’t thought about yourself. Carve out some time for self-care. Run a bath, pluck those eyebrows, get that lockdown home haircut, download a yoga app, or pick up the guitar again. The dishes can wait, right now you are more important.

Finally read that book you’ve been putting off 

We are all guilty of starting a book and never finishing it. We all own books we haven’t opened and an Audible subscription that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. If lockdowns are good for one thing, and that is keeping us home but home just so happens to be where all the good books are. So grab that book, read it, love it and tell all your mates about it on social media. Maybe you could start a postal book trade with a friend or a zoom book club? Let your imagination run wild. If you are like us you might want to combine some self-care with an audiobook, how about a warm bath and a trip to Middle Earth? 

Challenge yourself 

We all love a challenge!  You can find sudoku and logic games online. If you’re up for a quiz then Sporcle is good for quick quiz or even simpler challenges like touch typing races! Try something new or old, it’s up to you but keep your mind as active as your body. 

Connect with friends and family … don’t forget about us!

Again, we know, you called your bestie yesterday, waved at a friend across the supermarket carpark or even texted a friend already today. But did you really connect? Spur of the moment connection is great! Call your mum about that recipe she made when you were a kid, zoom a friend for advice on whether your indoor plants need fertilising, just make sure you set aside a time for a real connection. 

Also don’t forget that we, at the CUC, are here for you as well! Call Dan, our Centre Manager and chat with her, we are in lockdown too and we miss seeing you, you’ll brighten our day as much as we hope it brightens yours.

Embrace the sun 

It is so important to go outside, and I don’t mean a non-essential trip to bunnings. Vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin and chances are your own home provides opportunity for sunlight, sit next to a window, and just relax or head out to weed that garden you have been putting off. Hammocks are cheap and easy to order online, no one will judge you for a little outdoor nap! With spring just around the corner, sunscreen is a must too.

Drink water

Make sure you keep your water levels up. Hydration helps to boost your mood and improve your sleep.

Go on an adventure… virtually

Go on an adventure you say, but how can we explore if we can’t go outside? Well, we have news for you! The internet holds the key. Pick a destination and go on a YouTube walking tour! Learn everything you can about a destination, learn its history, customs and even find some local recipes to try at home. Tour the streets on Google Maps. Sure, it’s not exactly like being there but you can learn so much about a place without ever leaving your home.

Engage with your learning 

I know this one sounds a little hard, but you can do it. Make study at home a part of your routine. Review your notes, start on an upcoming assessment, or do that reading task you have been putting off. 

Reach out to your lecturers and tutors online. They are just waiting for your call.

AND don’t forget you can reach out to us and discuss your studies, we won’t mind at all.

Want to get in touch with your Centre Manager?

Our CUC team is here to support you! Maybe you need some uni advice, access to networks, a friendly catch up call or a virtual shoulder to lean on. Whatever it is our CUC team are here to support you and your studies. If there is anything we can do to help you, please reach out, our Centre Managers are just only one click/ message/ dm/ zoom/ call away! Dan can be contacted on danielle.keenan@cucfarwest.edu.au or phone: 0457327937

Health advice

For more info on the latest Covid-19 updates and more information on how to adhere to health advice in your state here:  

• New South Wales Health Advice