Dedicate your Space

If you only do one thing in a particular space, you’ll start to associate that space with that task. This can be very helpful when it comes to settling down for a productive study session. If you have the luxury of choosing a spot in your home that can be a dedicated study space, then by all means do so. If you’re unable to choose a dedicated space at home, look beyond your front door. Check out a local library, café, or bookstore to see if they have a space that might accommodate your needs, but only if these are not places you associate with recreation. You might even see if a local business would be willing to cater to students. This may have the benefit of reducing distractions further with no loads of laundry to switch and no trips to the kitchen to stare aimlessly into the refrigerator. Whether inside or outside the home, you need to find a space that’s just for studying. Try to be consistent.

Ample Lighting

Studying involves both reading and writing. Without ample light, these tasks can be difficult and cause eyestrain and fatigue. Try to choose a space with good natural light for daytime studying, and be sure there is adequate lighting for nighttime sessions as well. Lamps are preferable to overhead lighting. They can be adjusted to avoid shadows on your work space. Soft lighting is easier on the eyes than harsh white fluorescent bulbs. For long, intense sessions, this will help maintain your studying stamina.

Desk and Chair Choices

Size and comfort are crucial factors when choosing a desk and chair. Your desk must be large enough to accommodate all of your study materials; if you can’t spread out your books, notebooks, pens/pencils, and potentially your laptop or tablet, then you need a bigger workspace. Trying to juggle these items on a small desk and stack things on top of one another makes for wasted time and quite a bit of frustration. As for a chair, you will be spending quite a bit of time in it, so choose something comfortable and ergonomically correct. If you choosing a chair that promotes good posture, your back will thank you after long study sessions.

Ditch the Distractions

Distractions are the bane of any productive study session. If possible, remove your mobile phone from your study space completely. If you need to be able to be reached, compromise by putting your phone on vibrate and disabling the cellular data. Removing the temptation to check social media is a good first step.

Background noise can also be distracting. Research has shown that background noise has a negative effect on concentration and may cause an increase in stress hormones, which may affect your ability to retain information. For this reason, a quiet place to study is essential for optimal studying. Absolute silence can be just as distracting for some people, though, so if silence isn’t for you, choose quiet white noise, or perhaps classical music with very few dynamic changes. The goal here is for the ambient noise to remain in the background, while the information you’re studying stays center stage.

It doesn’t take much to set up an adequate study space, and the benefits can be huge. Don’t underestimate the power a study space has to make or break your success. Carefully choosing the location, lighting, organization, and minimizing distraction can have a major impact on the quality of your study and can make it more pleasant, too. Now, get studying!