Blog: How to Study Safe, Our Top Tips

2020. What a year it’s shaping up to be.

Normal life has been put on hold. Many of us have had to make tough decisions about our futures, our personal and professional plans and our ambitions. Our commitment to helping you succeed safely has never been stronger.  Whether you are continuing your studies, changing career path or returning to education, we’re here for you.

Want to know more about how to study safe, both physically and mentally? Let’s find out below…

New Ways of Learning

We’ve been working hard to ensure that our learning community can study as safely as possible whilst with us. Let’s have a look at what to expect when at our state-of-the-art campus.

Firstly, you’ll need to wear a face covering. Whether that’s a surgical-style mask or a quirky one you’ve bought with a print on it, as long as your nose and mouth are covered then we’re happy. Here’s some great news for those of us who normally run a bit late – we also recommend arriving at class no earlier than 10 minutes before your lesson. This helps cut down on the amount of time spent in corridors. Your tutor will call you in and seat you safely on one of our distanced desks.

Looking for that hand sanitiser is like second nature to many of us now when entering a facility. We’re no exception to the rules! You’ll find sanitising stations at our entrance way so you can ensure your hands are squeaky clean before entering any of our social areas, corridors or classrooms.

We’re also making sure we’re doing things by the book – quite literally. We’ve introduced a click and collect library service, so you can book a library resource online and a time to pick up your item. All returned items are quarantined for 72 hours before being rubbed with alcohol wipes, so when you come to take out your books you know they’re safe to use. We’ve also now delivered over 100 virtual library inductions and offer virtual support from 9.00am – 7.00pm Monday to Thursday and 9.00am – 4.30pm on Friday.

Last but not least – one-way systems. You’ll find our one-way systems clearly signposted throughout our site, keeping you as safe as possible whilst with us. Want to know more about our safety measures? Check out our video here:

Keep Connected

Many of us are learning virtually right now. Sure, we’ll see our classmates in a virtual classroom setting, but what about those friendly catch-ups in social spaces, or conversations that would flourish in-person sat next to each other? In these socially-distanced times, we have an opportunity to keep connected – not because we happen to be in a room with another person but because we care. Distance doesn’t define us, but our attitudes do, so let’s remember to reach out to our classmates, share ideas, tips and slot aside some time for that catch-up.

Take a Mindful Moment

Tough times like these can bring out the best in people and our societies as a whole. It’s comforting to know someone has our back and, likewise, we can provide a shoulder for others to lean on.

Get your day off to a zen start with Headspace – an app which makes meditation simple.

If you want help with anxiety, Young Minds and Anxiety UK are fantastic channels of support to explore.

University Centre Rotherham is also partnering up with Togetherall to provide our staff and learners with a channel for 24/7 mental health support.

We recommend reading this article on looking after your mental health whilst self-isolating at home.

What’s the Point? (Put your Passion to Practice)

In a 2015 YouGov survey, 37% of Britons said their work did not meaningfully contribute to the world. In 2017, a Gallup poll found just one in 10 Western Europeans described themselves as engaged by their jobs. Yikes.

Lots of people work for work’s sake. This is wrong – especially so when many of us identify who we are at least in part by what we do. By studying Higher Education, we’re striving to better our perceptions of ourselves, and define what it is that we want to accomplish going forward – both professionally and personally. There’s no one-size-fits-all advice for this, because we each have our own motivations driving us forward. What we would advise you to think on is how would you combine your knowledge, attitude and mindset developed during your learning experience to approach challenges to yourselves and our communities. If you work backwards from there, you’ll have a better understanding of what you want to achieve and what you need to develop to put your passion to practice.

Last But Not Least

We hope some of the above helps you stay safe and focussed on your future. It may not always seem it, but our world is a friendly place full of support and spirit – whether this is our local community, nation or global friendship.

When met with extraordinary circumstances, we’re delighted to see our terrific teams and staff respond with relentless spirit, knowledge, care and determination in providing our students and colleagues fantastic support.

We’re requesting all students and staff continue their concerted and collective efforts to support each other and treat one another with courtesy and consideration.

We’re all in this together – let’s make the most of it and stay safe.

If you have any questions, our friendly Learner Recruitment team are more than happy to help. Call 01709 722806 or email ucr@rotherham.ac.uk