The life of a long-term traveller can be incredibly fulfilling and uplifting. You get to see the world in its many different guises and forms, you can expose yourself to cultures and peoples you could scarcely have imagined, have the kinds of experiences which will dramatically shape your life from that moment on, and develop the kinds of memories (and photo album) that will last you a lifetime. Here are 3 rules for successfully studying online while travelling!
But what if your ambition isn’t simply to travel from place to place, but to study while doing it? If you’re signed up to do an online marketing masters degree, for example, how can you manage your time and your habits while on the road in order to ensure that everything works out in your favour? Well, here are some tips for successfully studying while travelling and enjoying a nomadic lifestyle.
Capitalise on your early mornings
Early mornings are almost always a better time to be productive than light nights, while on the road. For one thing, no matter whether you’re a “night owl” or not, your mind will slow down the longer you’ve been awake. This is due to the build-up of a sleep-inducing chemical called adenosine, which starts accumulating in your body from the moment you wake up.
Coffee can temporarily block your body from interacting with the adenosine it builds up, but drinking espressos at midnight is only going to ruin your sleep quality and turn you nocturnal. Not a great way of getting the most from your travels. Instead, wake up as early as you’re able to, and commit to some early morning study before starting each day. You’ll be fresh and awake, the world will still be asleep, and you’ll still have the whole day to spend on exploration.
Use incentives and punishments to keep yourself away from procrastination
Procrastination has the potential to be absolutely devastating at the best of times, but on those occasions where we absolutely need to master our limited time, or else, it can be a lethal vice.
When travelling, you’ll need to be extremely judicious about the way in which you use all those small moments that you have available for work, and you simply must overcome procrastination to be successful.
Reward yourself for working to schedule. Something small, like a tasty snack, can do. Punish yourself for procrastinating. Something like forbidding yourself a treat you were looking forward to.
Get enough sleep each night to aid learning
Sleep is fundamental for good health, overall, but it seems to play a very special role in how we learn, process, and memorise new information. Researchers have shown that people who sleep a full eight hours a night, versus those who are moderately sleep deprived, remember far more of the facts they were trying to learn the night before.
Not that, but even a nap in the middle of a cramming session can substantially increase the amount that the student is able to remember. Be sure to get enough sleep to perform at your peak. Consider investing in a sleep mask and foam earplugs if you’re staying in a noisy location.
