You’re moving overseas to another country and have a high-stakes English test heading your way. These are exciting times! Of course, there’s also a lot of pressure. Even though you may be feeling anxious and confused, and time may be short, fear not – you don’t have to do this alone! Life changing opportunities don’t happen very often, and we’re here to make sure things run as smoothly as possible for you. 

Which is why we’ve put together a few ideas for really useful online Study habits to get you started.

Plan for Success

We know, we know. It’s hard to tear your eyes away from your phone. But you’re not alone – it’s been said most people look at their phone once every four minutes. That’s an awful lot of screen time – and not much study getting done. That’s where a little discipline comes in.

Here are a few tips to help you plan ahead for an effective study period.

• Find a quiet place where you won’t get distracted, such as your bedroom or a quiet section of a library.
• Get plenty of rest the night before.
• Prepare everything you will need: writing paper, pens, water and healthy snacks.
• Put your phone on silent and turn off notifications.
• Take a break every 2–3 hours. Do some stretching exercises, or go for a walk.

Planning may take a little extra time, but it’s worth the effort so you can get the most out of every study session.

Think long-term

Once you finish your online English tests, the learning shouldn’t stop. Think of learning English as a beautiful relationship that you can nurture over the years and watch flourish – an investment in both your work and personal life that will pay dividends in the long run. When it comes to understanding a language, learning and improvement doesn’t end at graduation – it’s a continuous process, a lifelong journey. There are plenty of ways to keep practising English – here are some suggestions.

Consistency is key  

People love routines, so why not consider incorporating English practice into your everyday activities? Try to read a daily newspaper written in English (or do a simple crossword) to improve your reading and writing. Head outside and talk to people in English to improve your speaking and listening. If you’re not currently living among English-speaking people, perhaps start a free online trial and take advantage of lessons, practice questions and much more via our E2 Test Prep platform. It won’t always be easy, but with perseverance you will get there.

Keep learning new things

At some point during your English learning journey, you may feel you’re ready to move on to more advanced English skills. There are plenty of online English courses for beginners, intermediates and advanced students. If you feel it’s time to level up, E2 can help you find the educational resources you need.

If you’re preparing to sit your high stakes English test for IELTS, PTE, OET or TOEFL, consider E2’s free 30-day trial and get access to sample live classes, practise question and more. Upgrade to unlock more value and get access to mock tests, teacher assessments, live classes and much more.   E2 can help you confidently prepare for your tests with self study materials as well as teacher related activities. Learn more today!

Dealing with stress

Let’s face it, there are times during your online studies that will be challenging, or even outright stressful. This is particularly true during exam times or when you have a busy life outside of studies. It’s important to keep calm and put your current situation in perspective: it won’t be like this forever. In the grand scale of your whole life, study is usually just a tiny spot on the timeline. So if you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed, take some time to relax.  

Here are a few ways to get through stressful study situations.

Keep in touch

While it’s important to keep on top of your studies, balance is just as important. In other words, if you’ve been stuck in isolation with your textbooks for too long, it’s time to give your brain a break. Make a phone call to a friend or family member for a chat, or head out of the house to meet them for a quick cup of tea or coffee. It doesn’t have to take hours or be miles away. Get social, and use the opportunity as a circuit breaker from your studies.

Sleep

Sleep is so underrated, yet without it we’d be unable to function. If you’ve ever spent the night staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep, you’ll know how sluggish you can feel the next day. Not only is this terrible for study, but also for keeping stress at bay. Without adequate sleep, we tend to let our emotions get the best of us, leaving us feeling upset and overwhelmed. So while it may not be the coolest activity around, give sleep the respect it deserves and get a solid 8–9 hours every night while you’re in study mode.

Take control

Ever heard the expression ‘messy house, messy mind’? If you’ve got dirty dishes strewn all over the place, a desk covered in piles of paper and an overflowing laundry hamper, this is bound to impact your state of mind. By clearing out the mess from our lives and becoming more orderly, we’re able to focus more easily on the important tasks at hand. And this includes on your computer, so create subject folders and sub-folders, and delete irrelevant files so that everything’s an easy click away. Use an online calendar (or put a whiteboard on your wall) to add important dates, such as semester start and finish, tests, assignment deadlines and exams.  

Adopting effective Study Habits doesn’t have to be difficult or take a long time. With a little bit of planning and forward thinking, you’ll be acing those tests in no time. For more information about E2 and the fantastic resources they offer, head over here. 

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