Hello international students of Montreal! As of today, we’ve been inside and out of school for the past three weeks or so (that’s why we’re sharing this lovely outdoor shot that was taken on a trip to Dubai back when we were allowed to travel…). By now, you probably noticed that your apartment is not as big as you thought… After going from the sofa, to the kitchen, to your bed, what else is there to do? Well, we have a few tips for you to be more productive at home and keep your studies on the right track.

Keep a steady routine

The first tip MTL Compass has for you is to keep a routine. If before all of this COVID-19 nonsense you used to wake up at 7am everyday then there’s no reason to stop! By keeping your daily habits, you will feel more in control of your life. It’s important to keep your sense of time and not get side tracked by Netflix or whatever you’re used to watching. Trust us, we’ve been there and the variety of stuff to watch eventually runs out.

Open the windows!

Even though we are not allowed to go outside and be social, don’t be afraid of opening your windows as much as possible! Considering that pollution in the beautiful city of Montreal has drastically dropped since the start of this confinement, breathing fresh air from outside will significantly improve your morale.

Set up your “home office” properly

It might sound dumb, but have a dedicated study space. Having a designated area for each of your activities is very important. It’s a question of not getting overwhelmed or mixed up. Even if you don’t have the space to have specific areas for studying, eating, or chilling, if you are disciplined enough, you can manage. For example here at home, I used to have a huge desk! It would be my study and work space. Under no circumstances was I to eat at the table I studied at. However, it was time for a change, that’s why I got rid of it recently (before this whole “stay at home” issue actually). The point is, now that I only have an eating area, there is a higher need to be organized. The minute it get’s crowded the study/eating table becomes unliveable. Self-discipline is crucial when you’re stuck at home all day!

Use social media to your advantage!

Now is the ideal time to make use of those social media accounts. Be social, but online. Talk to your family, to your friends. Ask them if everything is ok. You probably don’t realize it, but your parents and grandparents might be more tech-savvy than you think. In my case, I was added to all the family groups on Whatsapp. They’re hilarious! MTL Compass is also on social media, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. We’re not going to hide that we haven’t been very active on those lately, but we’re definitely working on something!

Surround yourself with good energy

As you may have wondered in the previous post (Weekend in New York city), we mentioned that a lot has been going on and that a lot has changed. One of the things that changed the most is that I’m not alone anymore! On the 2nd of August 2019, this little guy was born:

His name is Yuuki and honestly, we’ve been having so much fun together! Today, he’s considered to be an adult, but he’s still a little kitten inside.

We will get through this!

That’s it for today everyone! I do hope that you’re all healthy and happy, life is beautiful and we will get through this!