Nothing beats the freedom of living off campus, but the catch is you may be a bit further away from libraries and other buildings to study at. Fortunately, it’s easy to create a spot in your apartment for you to study. Designating a spot to study in your apartment will allow you to focus better and be more productive. Make sure the spot you make has sufficient lighting to keep your brain stimulated, but away from distractions that will defeat the purpose of having it.
The Spot Itself
If you’re lucky enough to have an extra room in your apartment, you can turn it into an office or study. If you will have to make space for a spot, try to find an open area you don’t use much. The corner of a well-lit room will work, otherwise a larger closet could do the trick, too. Avoid making a study spot in the bedroom as your bed has the ability to lure you into a nap. If you have to use your bedroom or if you lease a studio apartment, try to create an area away from your bed so you’re not tempted to give up and go to sleep. The best place for a bedroom study is right in front of a window so you can soak up plenty of natural light.
Remove Clutter & Distractions
Anything that will not assist your studying needs to be removed from sight. Removing clutter and distractions will lead to efficient, beneficial studying. When your study spot is clean, it will be more inviting and you will want to use it more. A pencil case, shoe box, or even a fanny pack can be used to place all non-studying related objects hidden so you can concentrate on the task at hand.
Upright Desk
An upright desk is ergonomically better for your body and won’t take up as much space. As an upright desk will force you to stand, you will be working with improved posture which will help your concentration. The most cost effective way to create an upright desk is to mount a shelf at the perfect height so your elbows are at a ninety degree angle to prevent carpal tunnel.
Sufficient Lighting
You need to find the happy medium of light color and intensity. A light that is too soft of a yellow will make you fall asleep while a light that is too strong of a blue will give you a headache. Try to find a brighter, white light to meet in the middle. This way, you can stimulate your brain without straining your eyes. Natural sunlight is always best, but if your study spot is in a closet (or you’re studying at night) you need the right lighting for the job. Ideally, you should use a lightbulb with a color temperature ranging from 3000 and 4500 Kelvin to protect your eyes.
