Why You Should Study in the Library
I became more productive by sharing my productivity space
I felt stuck at home and found it hard to study. I needed a change in setting after long days of online classes. In front of the computer screen, my thoughts drifted and my mind wandered. I felt the walls narrowing in on me. They were crawling closer until I couldn’t breathe. There was no space to move and no space to think. I needed out. An escape from these fences caging me in.
My solution was to study in the library. In the library, the fog cleared up. At once my muscles began loosening and thoughts stopped jittering. Maybe the perfume of the books inside allowed me to regain my composer. It felt like everything was possible in this shelter.
A Sacred Place
Studying among a sea of books and the lingering smell of coffee, the library became my temple. My sacred house of knowledge. Free of interruptions and distractions. It felt like the horses of my mind were let loose to roam free in the open fields.
My advice is to find yourself a quiet corner and lose yourself in the sauce. Let the works on the walls shower you with inspiration. The spirits of Dickens, Hemingway, and Woolf sprinkle their insight over you.
Better Work/Life balance
Condition yourself to associate the library with studying. If you turn off the world each time you study, you will associate the smells, sight, and sounds of the library with productive work. This will make studying much easier. You’re telling your brain “Hey. It is time to get working”. This makes it easier to unplug once you’re done
You know that it’s all business in the library. But the second you leave, you don’t think of it or work outside the designated hours. By doing this you're avoiding additional stress and burnout.
Community
Studying with strangers is an intimate experience. Think about it. You're joining a community in the thick of the bookshelves. The words on the pages and the thoughts in your mind transcend the “real world”. Here everyone is equal, a part of the same kind.
Pondering abstract ideas in a shared space with others, you get a glimpse at the faces of tomorrow, future doctors, engineers, writers, and entrepreneurs.
Access to in-depth and reliable Sources
Libraries have an abundance of resources. The internet is a great tool, but the reality is that you can’t find everything you need. It is mile wide and inch deep. Yes, you will find something related to your inquiry, however, the results are often limited to surface-level material.
The books you will find in the library often are the lifework of someone condensed into a few hours of reading.
There is no quality control online. Countless lies, misconceptions, and half-truths circulate online all the time. Anyone with an internet connection can put up a site and start writing. Books on the other hand must go through a process where fact-checkers and editors make sure that the information being published is reliable.
I encourage everyone to give the library a chance, it will leave lasting effects on your learning experience. Your productivity and your quality of life will change for the better, and you will realize the wonders of sharing your workspace with others.
