Help at Home
In need of some advice with the shift to staying at home? Student Affairs have compiled ideas of what to do with your time, as well as resources relevant to making the most of your time at home.
Volunteer and help others
- Contribute your time: The Mayor of London website highlights ways to safely volunteer, either in-person or remotely
- Research nearby aid organisations: Use databases like Covid-19 Mutual Aid or USA Covid Mutual Aid to find local ways to help
- Help fundraise: Donate to a local foodbank, charity, or fundraise by hosting a virtual event yourself in support of those affected
Build new skills
- Practice a language: Bolster your linguistic abilities with online learning resources like Duolingo, Babbel, Busuu and iTalki
- Develop your digital skills: Learn coding, graphic design, data analysis software, or other technical skills
- Take free online courses: Coursera, Edx, Udemy, and OpenLearn from the Open University have courses in a variety of disciplines
Exercise your creativity
- Keep a diary: Writing your thoughts down on paper at the end of the day will remind you what you have accomplished
- Try out colouring books: Put on your favourite podcast series or playlist and find yourself absorbed by this oddly satisfying activity
- Write poetry: Get started by writing a haiku or another short poem and post it on social media
- Improvisation theatre: As odd as it may sound, simple improv theatre exercises can be done remotely as a group
- Set a daily creative goal: Compose a song, write a story/film review/poem, draw, paint, sculpt–whatever it is, just aim to do it every day
Stay connected
- Arrange virtual meetups with your friends and family: link up on the Houseparty app, over Zoom/Skype/FaceTime, or over the phone
- Play board games online: Set up an online game room and invite your pals to play Yahtzee, Monopoly, or even Cards Against Humanity
- Watch movies together: Use services like Netflix Party, Scener, or TwoSeven to stream movies together remotely
- Talk to a counsellor: If you need to talk to someone, Richmond’s counsellors are all taking remote appointments
Keep active
- Get exercise: Take part in online fitness classes or sign up for Richmond virtual yoga
- Give yourself some variety: Fitness challenges like the Nike Living Room Cup offer varied options
- Share your innovation: Explore new ways to improvise your at-home workout and let us know
Live well at home
- Declutter your physical space: Follow the tips of organisation expert Marie Kondo, or learn about Feng Shui
- Clean up your virtual life: Unsubscribe from newsletters, clean up your photos, and tidy up your computer
- Eat right: Learn how to cook healthy meals on a budget
- Stay active: Keep moving, do some yoga, a try out a quick workout
Keep up in your classes
- Make use of remote-friendly resources: You can get general help from the maths workshop or the writing centre
- Get help from a peer mentor or tutor: Request a peer tutor’s help for a particular class, or get general study skill help from peer mentors
- Set up a virtual study group: Link up with your classmates and share ideas – helping others can be the best way to help yourself, too!
Improve your time-management
- Start a calendar: Map out your deadlines and mark down everything
- Set alerts: Prioritize interim steps and experiment with what works best for you: colour code, try apps, or use the Pomodoro technique
- Manage your day: Think about how you work best when scheduling and pacing your activities and assignments across the day.
- Try to strike a balance: Remember to balance your academic work with your physical and mental wellbeing
Plan your career
- Set up informational interviews: Now is a perfect moment to ask professionals in the field for guidance and advice
- Try out skill-building courses on the Careers Portal: Learn about project management, negotiation strategy, or managing change
- Complete requirements for a Richmond Leadership Academy Award: Celebrate your accomplishments with the RLA award scheme
Gain experience
- Start a new project: Try starting a blog, work on your portfolio, or build up a social media presence
- Get a virtual job: Consider offering lessons in a specialist subject, like music or a language
- Think about next steps: Plan for postgraduate studies, research companies, and get a step ahead
