The quest for that perfect study spot is never-ending in every student’s life. You’re walking on the hectic yet arbitrary line of students on campus; Off-campus, you’re always running into fun places you would just love to visit but no, you have to finish this assignment before tomorrow morning. Finding that peaceful but not-so-quiet-that-it’s-just-distracting spot to study isn’t really as easy as it is important.
I have been a student for the most part of my life and the one thing I have learned is that it is downright necessary to have one corner in one room of one building that you can just call your own. That doesn’t mean I was successful in finding one, at least not until my last week of high school. While it was a little too late for me at the moment, it did help me build a roadmap for finding the perfect study space.
First things first, Know yourself
I know that seems completely obvious and somewhat redundant but half the reason I never seemed to find a study spot was I couldn’t really decide between quiet places and busy places, indoors and outdoors. I kept juggling the options, making pro-con lists, and in the end, just not… Studying?
So, KNOW YOURSELF and if you’re really not able to figure it out, I recommend quiet spaces indoors — libraries, cafes during slow hours or if all of that is not accessible, just find a comfortable corner in your home with ample light, space for the hundreds of notebooks you’re going to look at and a nice chair.
It also really depends on what exactly it is that you’re studying. Why? For someone studying law, a bustling cafe would not be suitable because they need quiet spaces and might require immediate access to case studies. However, it might be the perfect place for someone studying a creative subject like fashion, graphic design, or marketing. So, it boils down to what you’re studying, your personal preferences, and what’s more accessible.
Take a right at Convenience Street
Now that you know yourself, it’s time to consider convenience. Look for places near your home or School/University. If you procrastinate going there because it’s too far you are definitely going to procrastinate studying. To avoid finding yourself stuck in an endless loop of “I’ll just go there tomorrow”s and a lot of missed deadlines, find a place nearby and love it. For anyone that chose to make a space for themselves at home, do consider getting fresh air once in a while by studying outdoors occasionally. (or just sit near a window, it helps)
Get lost at the Obviously Roundabout
Sometimes the best study spots are the most obvious. Explore your town or city, and be spontaneous. Go to different libraries, try out some cafes nearby, or try sitting on a bench in a nearby park. You never know, it might just happen to be right in front of you. Mix it up once in a while. I know you have probably invested a lot of time in looking but maybe the perfect study space for you keeps on changing with time so get comfortable but not so much that you don’t explore other places.
Beware of the Too Comfortable Street
There’s comfortable and then there’s sipping coffee lazily in a cosy sunlit café level of comfort. In your quest for the perfect study space, always consider the fact that this is where you want to be productive and relaxed but not lethargic and lazy, so find a space where you can sit comfortably,have everything necessary within reach, and put your mind to achieving your goals.
Stay in the 5-Minute Lane
Now that you have found the perfect spot, Take no more than 5 minutes to pack your stuff. Seriously, leave the cute stationery behind, you do not need 10 different colors of highlighters to study. Make sure you get all the necessary stuff, don’t overthink it, and get going as soon as you decide to study.
Conclusion
In the end, the perfect study space does exist but it means different things to everyone. For some it may be a quiet café in the afternoon where they can focus with a warm beverage nearby, others may benefit from a cold and creative environment while some may require a library to make sure they have everything they need around them. You might just like all of them and drift from place to place every semester and That is completely fine. Treat this like a treasure map with some dotted lines and find the angle that works for you.
GOOD LUCK!
Written by Eva Gill
