The Importance of a “Study Spot”

Study spots are those special places that you go whenever you need to buckle up and get your work done.

They can range from coffee shops to the library but regardless of where these spots are located, they should allow you to disengage from your everyday distractions – be it roommates, video games, reruns of Friends, etc. Having a study spot gives you the ability to focus more attention to the tasks you scheduled that day rather than things that will distract you.

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I recommend that you find two or three study spots that you can cycle through for many reasons. First, there are going to be other students who are also looking for study spots and may take a liking to your particular spot.

I will never understand why I get so offended when someone sits in my “unspoken” or “you should know this is mine by now” seat, yet I complained about having an assigned seat the entirety of middle/high school. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that you will be able to stake claim to your territory unless it’s in your house (even your house may not be safe).

Secondly, having multiple areas to study can provide you with a change of scenery and a change of pace. It can be very rejuvenating for you to pack up and move study spots when you have dedicated a large portion of your day to studying. Personally, I have no desire to always be in the same location where I stare at the same paint job that covers the library walls.

Find a Place to Suit Your Needs

Distractions are like the wild Pokemon that could have been avoided if you stayed out of places you had no business in. | source

You may find that you prefer total silence or that you enjoy having a few periodic distractions. Neither is better than the other, it just depends on your particular preference. If you are one to enjoy having distractions,be sure to keep them limited and in your control as much as possible. Avoid places that have high volumes of traffic and/or the potential for wild distractions to appear while you are in your zone. Distractions should never take up more of your time than actually studying.

Designated Campus Study Spots

You can usually find designated study spots in the library, the dorms, or various resource centers around campus. These designated study spots are generally known to be “silent study areas” where students are asked to refrain from talking, using cellphones, and anything else that may unwittingly distract others from doing their work. These areas may have individual study carrels, which allow you to have your own space to spread your things out in whatever manner you see fit.

Example of a study carrel | source

During my undergraduate days some of the libraries had floor seating that I loved using. The chair was literally a dip in the floor and there was counter space for you to set up your study materials. I loved these because they allowed me to spread out, charge my laptop, have occasional distractions from people watching, and yet still be productive.

This is the floor seating I referred to above – these were really great for people watching doing your work. | source

You may even be fortunate enough to find listings of the various study spots on your campus on your school website.

Staying Focused and Organized

Once you have created a list of your preferred study spots, be sure to check your syllabus and bring all of the studying material with you that you will need for that day. It is crucial for students to take as few trips back to their dorm room/apartment/house as possible when studying because it allows you to maximize study time and minimize hazardous distractions.

For example, a friend may ask if you want to grab pizza and the next thing you know the whole day is gone and you didn’t even put your name on the paper you set out to write. Of course this never happened to me personally…

While it is good to provide yourself with something that will divert your attention away from your books while you take a break, you should avoid any distraction that will turn into all-day excursions at all costs.

You also want to be sure that you steer clear of your social media sites, like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. These powerful weapons can cause massive amounts of distraction that will decimate your study time. In fact, you may find yourself mindlessly looking at all kinds of odd things instead of studying because even watching paint dry can be more interesting than studying those differential equations.

True, personal story – I decided to take a break one day to look up how my male cat, Duke, coexisted with me and whether or not he viewed himself as the King of the Jungle. Fours hours and two documentaries later, I knew enough about male lion coalitions to make Steve Irwin proud.

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Study Buddies

Sometimes it’s nice to bring along a study buddy, someone who can give you momentary relief when your brain is swimming in all of the knowledge you have been feeding it. It’s also nice to have someone there who can watch your things if you need to use the bathroom or grab food. However, be warned: it’s better to have a study buddy who is different from your best friend, especially if the they (or you) are someone you will not get anything done if you are around them. One of my best friends in college and I would always study together. When we first started college, “studying” would turn into talking about music, watching YouTube videos, and planning out our weekend extravaganzas. Although it took a while, we eventually learned that studying should take up more than just 10% of our study time.

Concluding Thoughts

All in all, finding your study spots should be at the top of your priority list. It’s possible that it may take you a semester to find “the perfect one”, so it’s better to start early while you can. Over the years, your preferences for where you study are subject to change just as your learning preferences will. Do not be alarmed, it’s okay. View it as a sign that you are growing as you move through your years in college.

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