Study Space

Effective Study Space = Effective Study

Many students find it hard to study because there are so many distractions around them. When you try to study do you have little brothers and/or sisters that come and annoy you? Does your dad want to come in and use the computer while you are studying? Do you like to study on the kitchen table while everyone is pushing past and making a nuisance of themselves? I had this exact problem. For my whole study career I have found my study environment very distracting. I love to eat, I love to talk on the phone, I love to surf the net and I love to watch TV. I used to struggle with these distractions every time I tried to study. The thing is that you can't go blaming the fridge for making you want to eat or blaming your little sister for being annoying. You have to take the responsibility on your self to fix the problem. Every distraction has a solution.

The solution is to put yourself in a position where even if you want to be distracted, you can't, because you have eliminated all possibility of distraction. What I did was to head to my local library to study. At the library there is no easy access to phones, no computers, no fridges and no siblings! I took myself away from all those distractions and found a place where I could concentrate.

Sometimes a move of three metres can mean the difference between success and failure. If the kitchen is annoying then study outside. If you have four little brothers study at the library. There is always somewhere effective to study.

Activity

Claire Hooper has been having trouble studying. She is quite smart but she is not getting much done with her study time. She likes to study at the kitchen table. Because she plays tennis most days after school she usually starts to study at about 5pm. Mum often asks her to help set up the table as dinner is at 6pm. After dinner she finds herself listening in on the TV in the next room and the cat is always walking across her notes and books. A friend has suggested to Claire that she studies somewhere else but Claire says that she likes the kitchen table.

What advice would you give to Claire to help her study?

What would you give to her mum?

How would you react to Claire saying "but I like the kitchen table"?