# data[].attributes.headline
Don't have your own study space? Try these!

# data[].attributes.subject
Don't have your own study space? Try these!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Sometimes it can be really hard to study or get your work done because of the many distractions that are constantly around us. Whether you're too stressed, you have other things on your mind, or you just simply can't focus - we've all been there. That being said, the first step in actually having a productive study session is to put yourself in a place that keeps distractions at bay. Everyone's different in their study habits so I have rounded up 10 different places that I have found lead to quality studying; hopefully one works for you!

1. Library

This is the classic study place, which is why it is #1 on the list. The library is great for two reasons. The first is you are guaranteed complete silence. There are always certain sections of the library where volume levels are monitored - a key ingredient to studying. Libraries also provide numerous resources. You have access to books, computers, printers, etc. Whether you go to a school library or public library, it is the perfect place to get a lot of studying done.

2. Coffee Shop

I think almost everyone has gone to Starbucks, or any other coffee shop, to study or homework. Coffee shops are great because you can get your dose of coffee (you don't want to fall asleep while studying!) and some food for when the hunger strikes. And, since many other people are there for the same reasons, there's mutual respect and distractions are kept to a minimum. Also, you get free Wi-Fi.

3. The Park

What else is more peaceful than sitting on a blanket in the park on a beautiful day? Parks are a great place to study because being outside with fresh air tends to calm people down, so they are less stressed.

gotmesh.org

4. Your Room

This is a tricky one and only works if you have self-control. Turn off your phone, your TV and your computer. You need to make your room a distraction free zone, which means you have to basically eliminate everything in your room you enjoy. It is all too easy to unconsciously bring up Facebook, twitter, or Instagram. So, if you want to study in the comfort of your own bedroom - you must be disciplined!

5. Your Parents' House

If you have finals or a big test coming up, a great thing to do is to go to your parents' house for the weekend. This gives you a distraction free environment. You don't have to worry about being distracted by roommates or friends in the library. Also, you will not be tempted to ditch your studies to hang out with your friends. Plus, I'm sure your parents will make you some good study snacks.

dreamsfashion.skyrock.com

6. Classrooms

During the day, classrooms can be loud and busy. However, in the evenings, or times when classes are not in action, classrooms can be the perfect place to study. Why? They are completely silent. Also, some classrooms have valuable resources to aid to your studying, like computers or white boards. The familiarity of a classroom can trigger the inclination to study, because you're usually focused when sitting in a classroom setting.

letsstudylikehermione.

7. Tutoring Centers

While some people are hesitant to go at first, tutoring centers can actually be a very helpful place. Here, you have people to answer your questions, help you study, offer study tips, and so much more. If you want to feel completely prepared, a tutor center is perfect for you.

freerangekids.com

8. A Book Store

Most big bookstores, like Barnes & Nobles, are quiet and have sitting areas perfect for studying. Also, they tend to have coffee shops on premise - a double whammy! Book stores are the perfect mix between the library and coffee shop environments.

flickr.com

9. Student Center

Looking for a comfy and casual place to get some work done and aren't as easily distracted by most? Try the student center. Student Centers have comfortable couches and chairs and are the perfect place to study with friends or a study group. You don't have to worry about being too quiet, but it is also a serious enough environment for you and your study group to get work done.

collegebound.net

10. A Study Partner's Place

Sometimes your apartment may not seem like the right place to study. Maybe you have too many distractions that you know you won't be able to deny - like a TV in every room, your roommates begging you to hang, the last episode of PLL waiting for you on your laptop. If you have a friend with stronger will power than you, head over to their place. You've rid yourself of temptation and now you can hopefully get some studying done, with a friend!

sharkattackol.com

Feature image source:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 Places Where You Can Actually Study! - Society19

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sometimes it can be really hard to study or get your work done because of the many distractions that are constantly around us. Whether you're too stressed, you have other things on your mind, or you just simply can't focus - we've all been there.

# data[].attributes.body
13 Study Tips

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
13 Study Tips: The Science of Better Learning

# data[].attributes.body
This is must have for anyone, enjoy your space!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Lifelong Learning Matters Jan. 3, 2017

You’ve got a big test and you really need to do some studying. You head over to your favorite coffee shop, get an oversized cup of high-octane coffee, open up your book …

… and immediately get distracted.

You put on headphones and your favorite music but quickly find yourself grooving to thumping bass rather than focusing on your big test.

Or, let’s say you’re taking an online study course and also have small kids at home. As much as you love your kids, you need a space where you can get away from the noise for a bit and actually focus on knocking out this test.

Clearly, you need a dedicated study space where you can do some serious work.

Believe it or not, you don’t need to be an eccentric millionaire living in a castle on a cliff to have your own spot for studying. You can easily create one in your house or apartment as long as you follow a few simple guidelines when creating the space.

What are those guidelines?

Here are six …

YOUR STUDY SPACE SHOULD BE QUIET AND DISTRACTION FREE

In his book “The Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson,” Emerson wrote:

At times the whole world seems to be in conspiracy to importune you with emphatic trifles. Friend, client, child, sickness, fear, want, charity, all knock at once at thy closet door and say,—’Come out unto us.’ But keep thy state; come not into their confusion.

Okay, that may be a bit on the extreme side, but you get the point. There are a LOT of distractions out there.

First and foremost, you want your study spot to be quiet and free from distractions. This should be obvious, but these days, it’s pretty common to study in loud places with lots of background noise.

Or, many people will blast music or put on a movie in the background to “distract” them from the overwhelming quiet. They feel that having something happening in the background actually helps them focus. After all, nothing like “X-Men II” to put you in a calm, peaceful state of mind, right?

But what most people don’t realize is that a quiet, undistracted place really is the most productive when it comes to studying. Writing in Scientific American, Mark Andrews says:

Several studies have indicated that stress resulting from ongoing white noise can induce the release of cortisol, a hormone that helps to restore homeostasis in the body after a bad experience. Excess cortisol impairs function in the prefrontal cortex—an emotional learning center that helps to regulate “executive” functions such as planning, reasoning and impulse control. Some recent evidence indicates that the prefrontal cortex also stores short-term memories. Changes to this region, therefore, may disrupt a person’s capacity to think clearly and to retain information.

This means that, ideally, your study spot should be peaceful and free from noise. Your phone and email should not be buzzing, and you may want to consider using a white noise generator to create a pleasant background noise. Alternatively, you could run a fan to create the same time of background noise.

There have been studies that have shown that a little classical music in the background can be helpful, so don’t be afraid to gently pipe some Chopin through your stereo.

There are certainly times when it’s appropriate to study in a coffee shop or with your favorite tunes bumping in the background, but for the crucial sessions, keep it quiet. Have the dance party when you’re done studying.

YOUR STUDY SPACE SHOULD BE COMFORTABLE

This should be obvious, but your study space needs to be comfortable. If you’re going to be spending long hours with the books, you need to treat your body right. The temperature in the room should be cool, but not so cold that you’re shivering, and warm without putting you to sleep.

Purchase a comfortable chair that will give you adequate lumbar support and a desk that you can sit at comfortably. You may even want to set up a standing desk, which can save your back if you’re going to be hunched over for hours.

If you’re a fitness buff, you could try a treadmill desk, but that might be a little extreme.

Your goal is to create an environment that you will enjoy being in for an extended period of time. If your study room feels like a solitary confinement cell in Alcatraz, you’re really going to hate studying.

YOUR STUDY SPACE SHOULD BE WELL ORGANIZED

You don’t want your study spot to look like a scene out of “Hoarders.” Everything around you should be well-organized and easy to find. Having notes scattered everywhere may give you that cool, “Beautiful Mind” feel, but it will kill your studying.

At the risk of sounding extraordinarily nerdy, we recommend keeping pens and pencils held together neatly, papers filed in appropriate folders, and study cards in the right stacks. If you’re a Post-It kind of person, stick all your notes on a piece of poster board.

Also think about organizing your digital files. You don’t want to lose a crucial paper or chart during finals. If you’re having trouble organizing things, consider using one of the following solutions:

Evernote

Google Drive

OneNote

These systems allow you to search for items, both by the name of the file and by words within the files themselves. Evernote can even handle OCR (optical character recognition), meaning you can put snapshots of handwritten notes in.

YOUR STUDY SPACE SHOULD BE PLEASANT

Not only should your space be comfortable, it should be pleasant. In other words, you should create a space that you simply enjoy being in. This will dramatically enhance the studying experience.

There are endless ways to customize your space. You can use candles or essential oil diffusers to add a pleasant aroma to the air. If you have dream of being a wealthy billionaire and literally rolling around in piles of money, there is actually a candle that smells like money!

Tasteful lighting can add a nice ambience to the room. Grab a few floor lamps or desk lamps and get rid of all the harsh, interrogation room lighting.

Don’t be afraid to add your own little touches. Are you a diehard Braveheart fan? Hang posters all over the walls. Do you have a weird obsession with Beethoven busts? Have him accompany you during your studies.

As mentioned above, you can also add pleasant background noise to drown out distractions. There are hundreds of apps and devices that create peaceful noises. If you want it to feel like you’re studying at the beach in a rainstorm, you can make that happen.

This is your opportunity to flex your creativity. Make a space that you actually enjoy spending time in. A space that you don’t dread. The more pleasant associations you have with studying, the more you’ll actually want to study.

YOUR STUDY SPACE SHOULD ALLOW YOU TO KEEP ON SCHEDULE

This requires a bit of explaining. The most effective studying happens on a very rigorous schedule. In other words, you know when you’re going to start and end, as well as when you’ll take breaks. Maintaining a schedule allows you to focus as well as providing you a sense of how much longer you need to study.

To take things even further, individuals who study best are those who break down their overall study time into blocks. Many people use what is called the “Pomodoro” method to focus for short bursts and then they take a short mental break.

For example, working according to the Pomodoro method, you could study for 25 minutes, then take a 5 minute break, then study again for 25 minutes. After 3 or so study sessions, you take a longer break of 15 or 20 minutes. Breaking up your sessions in this way allows you to laser focus for short amounts of time, supercharging your studying.

Writing about the Pomodoro Technique, S.J. Scott says:

In theory, this strategy works because you completely focus on one task (like writing) without shifting focus or multitasking. When the clock is ticking, you ignore the urge to check email, hop on Facebook, answer text messages or do any other distracting activity. You’re in the zone and completely focused.

To study in such a fashion, you need a simple time keep device in your study space, like an alarm clock or timer. It doesn’t need to be anything elaborate; just something that will let you know when to start and stop.

In addition to creating a schedule, you should also focus on studying during your prime time. This means studying when you are freshest and most able to focus. If you work best in the morning, that’s when you should be doing the bulk of your studying. Focusing on your prime time will double or even triple your efficiency, allowing you to remember more in less time.

CREATING RULES FOR YOUR STUDY SPACE

To make your study space most effective, you should create a series of rules that are in effect within that space. These rules aren’t designed to ruin all the fun but simply to make the most of your time. These rules could include:

No mobile phones.

No checking email or social media.

No snacking except during designated break times.

This may sound a little silly, but you could even put a, “Do Not Disturb,” sign on the door to inform people that you are deep into an important session.

Jim Rohn said, “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” Freedom ultimately comes through discipline, and implementing these rules is one way to create that freedom you need.

ENJOY YOUR SPACE

Due to space or budget restrictions, you may not be able to create the spot of your dreams, complete with a plush leather chair, tasteful art on the walls and a high-end sound system. After all, this is a study space, not a man cave or something from Pinterest.

But, by implementing just a few of these rules, you can turn even the most drab, boring location into a place you actually want to go.

Benjamin Franklin said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” By investing time and a little bit of money into your study space, you are ultimately investing in your knowledge, which is invaluable.

We agree with Mr. Franklin. By creating a quiet, comfortable, organized, pleasant and focused study space, you are making an invaluable investment in your knowledge.

WHEN YOUR STUDY SPOT BECOMES A CLASSROOM

Programs at PGS allow students to study whenever and wherever is best for their schedule, personality and work habits. With easy access and a relevant learning environment, an online program is a perfect complement to these six guidelines for the ultimate study spot.

Learn more about our adult programs

Learn more about our graduate programs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
6 Ways to Create the Ultimate Study Spot - Cornerstone University

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
You’ve got a big test and you really need to do some studying. You head over to your favorite coffee shop, get an oversized cup of high-octane coffee, open up […]