So you've got a test in two days, you've got a low "C" in chemistry, or you just want to go out the night before your test so you need to start studying now. Whatever. I'm not judging. Regardless of the situation, you've got to study. Honestly, I would rather jump off a cliff than study, but I have to do it. I have to graduate college. I cannot give up and become a farmer… yet. One of the most important factors of studying is choosing a place to do the deed. It can make or break your study session, but it also says a lot about you.
If you study at a table in the eating room of your house, you're most likely a social studier. You don't like to be out of the loop, and that's okay. Embrace that. However, this is tricky. Chances are, you'll get distracted. Someone's going to walk in with a story to tell you. Someone's going to make a joke that's going to just completely derail you. You'll overhear plans for a party and that's it. You're done. Unless you've got willpower of steel or some good headphones, it's over. Your best bet is to go somewhere that your house has designated for studying. You may not be entirely in the loop, but, hey, at least you're there, right?
If you study in your dorm room, you must be extremely organized. Admittedly, my desk in my dorm room is for last minute homework and doing my make-up and hair so it's extremely unorganized. My room in general is just not quite conducive to studying unless I make the time and effort to clean it up and make it that way. Nevertheless, it is a rare occasion that I have the time or energy to do that. I've seen some of my friends' dorm rooms that make perfect study environments, but those are some of the most organized people I've ever known.
If you study in the residence hall study rooms, I think you're just a lucky person in general. I seem to never get to lock one of those down. One room for an entire floor? It's not surprising that the luckiest of us get them. They make great study spaces especially when you're doing group projects or anything like that. They're absolutely perfect if you can actually get one. Although, you're probably better off trying to go somewhere else.
If you study outside, you are entirely out of my league. I'm not being dramatic. I've made two attempts to study outside in my entire life. Both times were mistakes. There is entirely too much to distract me, especially on a college campus. The sun normally creates a glare on my computer, so that's useless. The wind normally blows my papers away. I am not nearly coordinated enough to fully grasp studying outside. For those people that can, I salute you. You are the most coordinated and poised of us all.
If you study in the library, you are the true MVP. You are the epitome of our parents' greatest dream. You go to the library without it being a requirement. What an exemplary college student you are! The personal study areas are the best place for a person like me. However, I always have to go to the same one so that I'm not distracted by the different vandalism etched in the desk. Those poor things suffer some real abuse. They have stories.
Regardless of how, when, or where we study—we all have to do it. We may hate loathe it, but in order to get a degree, it's essential. Our personality types typically designate our study areas for us. Whether you study with friends for a day or isolate yourself for hours on end, you're getting the job done. This part of the semester is tough, but as you hunker down and suffer through it, just know it will all pay off. Find your place and stick to it!
