Classes have been going for a while now, and I’ve found them to be incredibly interesting, and the workload has been manageable. My professors have been quite inspiring as they absolutely love the material that they teach. In high school, I had trouble with procrastination, but here I’ve really just wanted to jump into my studies, because I’m taking classes that interest me (thanks to the open-curriculum!). I’m currently taking: Introduction to Economics, MTH161 (Calc 1 & part of Calc 2), WRT 105 (The required writing course which is absolutely awesome; mine is on Alternate History, and we’ve been writing essays on Inglourious Basterds), and Introduction to Political Philosophy.
LOCATION IS KEY
A bunch of the kids who are in Introduction to Psychology told me that in class, they learned that information retention can become linked to a certain location if you study at the same place. To prevent my information retention from being limited to one place, I’ve been experimenting with different study locations. Here’s a brief synopsis of some of the best places to study on campus:
Gleason Library: Great for group projects, as the majority of Gleason is not a quiet-study area. The “library” was designed to be a collaborative environment; they asked students a few years ago what sorts of things they wanted in the library to help them study. Gleason has comfortable places to sit, rolling chairs, white boards, study cubicles, easy access to power, rooms with TVs for working on group projects, and is located right near Connections, which is a coffee shop with pastries and coffee for a mid-study break.
Starbucks: It’s a little louder than some other study locations, but it has a nice atmosphere with the way it's lit and its comfortable couches. It’s nice to be able to just walk away from your computer and grab a coffee without having to pack everything up, because it’s within eyesight. I’ve found that caffeine really helps me to focus on my work and get a lot done. They also have a green initiative where if you bring your own mug they’ll fill it up with coffee for $1.29!
Rush Rhees Quiet Areas: Absolutely dead silent studying for those who need it absolutely quiet. I didn’t enjoy working here because I had to be too conscious about the noise I was making. I kept quiet, but someone’s phone went off and everyone shot them a stare. Definitely not my cup of tea, but I bet it’s great if you’re reading or doing something where you don’t want any noise.
The Stacks: The Stacks in Rush Rhees is tied with Starbucks for my favorite place to study. It’s a wonderful place to study because there’s hardly anyone in there usually, so it’s dead silent, but you don’t have to be. I’m sure you’ll have to be quiet when it’s packed during the week before midterms, but it has still been a solid place to study. I think its only flaw is that there aren’t any nearby places to eat, so you better bring your own food. PHOTO: My cozy little corner in the 200m stacks:
Dorm Room: I don’t study in my dorm room because I love my hall too much. My hall is super outgoing and fun, and if I was in my dorm room, I’d end up getting nothing done because I’d want to go hang out with them. Shout out to Holly 2!
I never was one to study in high school, but honestly just being in college makes me want to try my best and get my work done as soon as it’s given to me. I’m hoping that I can keep these good work habits up. I decided to write this post because it’s definitely important to find somewhere you can escape all of the fun of campus life and get down to work when you need to.
My friends Emma Shockley and Ainnie Dar studying math at Starbucks:
