Your Study Space
 

As years go by, I find that I increasingly have difficulty studying at home. My home is very small and cramped, and the computers are in my parents room. Everytime I need to do work or write a paper, I have to go in there.

Imagine what it's like for me to pull an all-nighter writing an essay or doing research online. I have to be really quiet because there's people sleeping in the room. I have to be extra quiet even when I shuffle sheets of papers or flip through books. If I get frustrated, I can't vent and say things out loud. I can't blast music. If I want music, I need to put on headphones.

I'm sure anyone's who's been through university knows this: When you're dealing with school crap under a time crunch, every damn little thing can annoy the hell out of you. So my patience is already extremely thin, especially at 3am in the morning. On top of that, there's the grating sound of snoring six feet away from me.

The desk itself is small, cluttered, and there's hardly enough surface area to put all my notes and books. I get so discouraged by the study space that I simply don't want to work anymore.

This is NOT an environment that's conducive to working positively. For the longest time, I couldn't figure out why I got so discouraged to work. After all, I did this all through high school just fine, when the workload was easy and more than manageable. Now I realize just how crappy my study space is.

How does your study space affect your productivity and motivation to study.

Plus what if your parents wanted some "special" time and you needed to do a paper. What is that about.

I never really had any issue with my study space. I usually just turned on some music I liked and got to work. I couldn't study if I wasn't alone though. Not that I did a lot of studying in my day. Guess I was just lucky like that.

I find a computer distracts me too much when I'm either studying or doing homework. I especially discovered this after my midterms in october.

If I just need to do some reading, I obviously won't read in that room. But then again, I'm not exactly productive either when it comes to reading at home.

Oddly enough, I'm able to concentrate so much better when I'm reading on the subway on my way to class. Or I have to go to the library in order to get some reading done.

But when it comes to writing papers, I have no choice. I don't have a laptop, so I can't write essays just anywhere I want.

My study space happens to be my room since everything I need is in here. However, as far as the setup goes, having a TV right next to the computer can be distracting at times.

I always study in front of my computer, with the music on.. I usually write (type) summaries of all the stuff I need to learn; it consumes a lot of my time, but this method works.

My study space is my room. I lack a computer in there since it's a family computer and it's about a floor down from room.

As far as the TV goes in my room, all it has is my PS2 connected to it. Back in Elementary, when I was in 3rd grade, my dad decided to cut the cable off from my room, since it might distract me and I would never go to sleep. So the TV usually isn't a problem.

My problem is studying in a place that's too quiet. Although I get easily distracted, as long as something's going on, it gives me more of a reason to focus on what my task at hand is.

Yeah, mine's pretty much the same. Also considering I usually need to get things from the internet in order to do my work, that usually ends up distracting me for a while because I'll always end up browsing the web for "just a few minutes"... well as long as I get the work done in the end I'm not too bothered. Eventually I'll usually get into the flow and not be distracted.

I've never had my own room.

If I want some peace and quiet in order to my reading, I'll have to head for the library. It isn't practical because the public library closes at 8:30pm. And the libraries on campus are a 45-minute subway commute.

I'm very disorganized or as I'd rather put it, I'm the creative type. You see, I find that people who keep everything in its place are just too lazy to look for things. There's nothing more satisfying to me than to be able to tread through my room, kicking things over until I find what I'm looking for. Back home, my mother would take the initiative and transform my room into a mecca of order. Then, no lie, I couldn't find ANYTHING when my possessions were compartmentalized. So I'd literally have to shove everything back off of the shelves, out of the drawers, out of my closet and off of my desk. I'm an obsessive clean freak but I couldn't keep things orderly if my life depended on it. Of course, when I have a girlfriend or guests I might kick things to one side of the room.

As for my study habits, sticky notes, index cards, loose sheets of paper, a pen in every pocket saved my life. Dumping my backpack out on the bed at the end of the academic day was like playing the PowerBall. I was a straight A student through my 2 years of Psyche. To this day, I stew in the irony. I didn't have homework in Art School after that.

I understand you dislike your situation, it must be a hell :(

I have my own room with computer and so, but the desk is really small. Seriously, the monitor, speakers, mouse and keyboard takes up all space, so I can't have books and papers there. This mostly annoy the hell out of me if since I most often need books and papers while working. I should get a laptop and sit at the kitchen table or something.

I agree. It's frustrating as hell when you have tons of reference books and notes, and there's NO surface area on your little desk to put them all. For this reason, sometimes I envy people with laptops.

Yeah, I wish my set-up was better. I've actually dealt with this all my life, so I've gotten used to it. It's just the last couple of years in university -- with endless papers and research -- that have gotten to me. All of sudden, I realize why I'm so sick of writing papers, simply because of the dynamics of my work space.

I have problems doing work late at night because the computer is practically in my brother's bedroom and he doesn't like being bothered from his sleep. It doesn't help that computer itself is has below-average performance. Of course, I wouldn't have to worry about such things if I didn't procrastinate and decided to start working on whatever at a decent hour.

Are such things even possible? :doh:

I find that the best place, for me, to study, is the kitchen table. The more cluttered the table is, the more I can concentrate. :D I usually have some music on, a cup of tea, and some non-greasy finger food. I used to do my homework at the computer, but seeing how easily distracted I am, that didn't prove to be a brilliant idea.

I usually have no problems when working late, especially since I concentrate better at around 11 PM. All the bedrooms are upstairs, so I probably won't wake anyone up unless I started throwing things.

Sometimes when I'm pulling an all-nighter writing essays, I wish I could throw things.

This is to be thought of but never spoken.

This sin will stain your soul forever.

I never study. I have never studied. I do not need study space, because either I remembered it, or I am memorizing it in the car.

Similarly, I dropped out of college during the first semester. I do miss that handsome Japanese fellow who liked to smoke. I didn't understand his English most of the time, but I would have banged him, easily.

I do all my studying and work in my bedroom. There's plenty of space to move around and to have books open on the floor, so I don't have any problems. It's always been a habit of mine to study in complete silence or if the work is light, with some music in the background.

I do most of my studying in my room when it is quiet around here, the walls are paper thin just about. I have four younger siblings, loud little monsters.
But I like knowing where everything on my desk, the right kind of music (mostly classical) to listen to, and I can get my work done without pulling too much of my hair out.

It's not really 'studying,' but I find it almost impossible to practice my viola in my own space, even though I thought that I would practice more. Even though it doesn't distract me directly, something about being in the presence of a bed causes my practice to be a lot less productive.

That said, I also hate practice rooms; I have to prop my case open on top of the piano, so there's some decoration (my viola case is filled with patches, stickers and pictures against the red velvet, so it really brightens up the drab practice room).

I don't mind studying in front of the computer, although ti can be annoying when many people start chatting. Luckily, I do my homework and study ahead of time so that I am not cramming everything in my head in one night.

I don't rly have a study space. I study about anywhere : in my room, in the living room, in the bus, on the kitchen counter, etc. I always end up studying while watching TV, or listening to music, or any other distractions that don't rly affect my studying anyway. If I'm concentrated on a maths problem to solve, even a bus that crash in my living room wouldn't bother me! :O (Ok, maybe I'm exagerating a lil bit! MAYBE! :edgartpg:)

Generally for me, I do much more work when I'm surrounded by no distractions (like going to a library for the whole day to write a report)

My study space happens to be in the downstairs den of all places where my electronics are. It can be difficult having a computer nearby, HT setup, couch and cozy bed nearby. :ashamed: What I either do is have my computer run a batch of DVD encodes for a number of hours while writing papers, completing assignments or study. What I find that helps is mainly my mp3 player, this way I'm not aware of anything going on around me. The only drawback is that I get too comfortable but I guess working well under pressure helps. :juggler:

Issue at my study space at home bothers me a lot as well, especially when the house is active at night.

Then again, even if I tried, there's no way in hell I can prepare on 3 exams next week and another 3 the week after next week. Heh, never thought in medicine you'd learn something new everyday, always moving forward, cramming projects within one month. It's hardwork and sometimes even at my studies, I black out. Study space sometimes helps to my advantage but right now? Nope, not helping at all.

My computer is in my mum and dads room. I've got the problem of not being able to pull an all nighter on essays because they simply won't let me use the computer while their asleep, they also go to bed around 10 so it's not like I'd even have a chance. The workspace round the pc is so small and full of my dads printouts and crap, I've got no space to put down my books or anything. and if I leave something in there then all hell breaks loose because I've messed up the workspace lol. When it comes to reading I have to do it on my bedroom floor cos theres no surface in the house where i can go and pull up a chair and sit and read at. It sucks. I find it easier to study at college but this year for my january exams i did it at home, my results which I'm getting tomorrow will probably reflect the shoddiness of my study area.

Unfortunately, I can only study in my main room, which is a desk surrounded by shelves of games and memorabillia as well as my TV. So I'm always screwed to procrastinate and play.

Rocca: I know that one :tpg:

I hate how I always have my computer on when doing homework in form of normal papers/books with pencils. I always do my "just one visit at Gamingforce" and such, but it turns out as more than one visit.

Am I the only one annoyed at this "study space" crap?
I need a flat, clean desk suface, a writing stick, paper and books and everything else can be as variable as it pleases. I can study with or without music, and I've found I perform a lot better if either lots of people are talking around me, or if I'm alone and I talk to myself through the problem.

I find that I can't study around a peaceful area. There has to be something in the background like the TV so I used to study in between commericals. Since I don't watch much TV anymore, I usually head to the school library or a book cafe with a friend who is studying the same subject. It's so much better when you have someone accompanying you to work out whatever you don't understand together.

Back in the day, when I bothered to bring my work home to do, or bothered to study, it was generally in my room, lounging on my bed or something. I did better when I did lots of my homework on the computer, and at the time I didn't have internet, so not a whole lot of distractions there.

In college, the year I was there at least, I had a laptop, and basically could work wherever I needed to or wanted to. Basically I can work with a very dynamic workspace, but plenty of tablespace always made things a bit easier to manage.

I feel ya. Sounds a lot like my situation, except my parents don't mind me pulling all-nighters writing essays in their room. They're always very encouraging: "Oh you do what you gotta do. Don't worry about it. Schoolwork comes first."

But considering how cramped and uncomfortable, and how little desk space I got, it's no wonder my productivity has plunged over the years.

Well true, the computer has always been in an environment thats subject to being watched over, my computer being located in the living room. But hey when it comes to reading over the old textbook, I just shut myself in the room, but with no desk. I have to sit on the bed, crouched over, with a light in the corner. Yeah it's easy to fall asleep but hey, I manage!

Study space? Does not exist.

haha lol
well think about it -.-" if it were any large semi-like mine there are so many distractions 0_o i find it hard to concentrate so i study outside on a good day =/

im lucky i live with 1 other person and have my whole room to myself... study is quite easy... well now it is... but i dont like studying at home, i get too distracted with tv... computer... etc... instead i prefer to go to a cafe... like The living Room or Rebecca's <.<;

Timberwolf - Perhaps you can move the computer to another location in the house? I can't focus at home until late at night when everyone's asleep. If I need to, I would stay at the University and study. I don't mind studying with or without the computer next to me. Music can be a distraction sometimes, but it depends what i'm studying on.

Unfortunately, that is not an option at this time, given our cramped living condition. It's a two-bedroom apartment, with stuff all over the place.

If I'm studying at home during night time, then I'll have to either shutting down my computer or just not logged on to either messengers.
But I usually try to study in student center while I'm still at school during the day. Usually sitting in the coffee shop area for at least 3-4 hours unless I feel like bored outta my mind.

Timberwolf- Situations are tough for u at the moment. Hang in there, I'm sure it'll get better once you graduate. Do you study at the library or at school sometimes? Would it help to do it at school?

Thanks quest2368, I'm okay. I've gotten used to it. It's only just recently I realized how lame my set-up is. Sometimes I just need to vent, especially during a time crunch.

Studying at the libraries on campus definitely allows me to focus a lot better, and puts my mind at ease. But since I don't live on campus, and need to commute by subway, sometimes staying at (or going to) the library isn't always practical.