Creating a study environment away from university

We all know how important it is to have a good study spot, to be able to gain the knowledge needed to pass your exams. Too much noise may have you struggle with your concentration, while too little light can strain your eyes. In this blog we’ll be giving you some tips on how to create a good environment for studying and passing all your exams!

First up you need to choose a proper location to study. For most people, this will be at their desk in the bedroom. However, alternatives could also be considered if your bedroom isn’t the ideal study spot because of the amount of noise in the area, not enough lighting or any other reason that makes it unsuitable to study. Alternatives could be studying in the garden/a nearby quiet park (when it isn’t as cold) or even setting up a study spot in a different room!

Good lighting is key

A very important part of creating a good study environment is making sure that the environment is well lit. This is important because the absence of light causes your eyes to strain more when they focus on a computer screen or a textbook. If there is not enough natural light in your study spot, consider setting up lights around your spot. You only have one pair of eyes for your whole life so it’s important not to damage them!

Set the atmosphere

Background noise is another important factor when creating a study environment tailored to maximize your studying efficiency. It can be hard to find a spot where there is no background noise, but you can try to drown out the noise by listening to music (perhaps a study playlist, check out our playlist blog for inspiration). Another advantage of listening to music while studying is the fact that your brain unconsciously makes associations between the music you’re listening to and the material that you’re studying, causing you to remember it better.

Get organized!

Make sure to stay organized. Choose a study spot where you can keep all your supplies in one place and where you have enough space for an organized study session. It also helps to plan ahead and know at which times you’re going to study and when you need to take breaks. Not taking breaks will reduce your concentration and stop you from studying efficiently.

Motivate yourself

A tip for staying positive is to surround yourself with things that motivate you. This can for example be post-it notes with motivational quotes, art that you are fond of (pictures, paintings etc.) or even a poster from a show/movie that you really like! The options here are limitless, as everyone has different things that keep them going.

Switch it up!

Another good thing is to switch up your study environment sometimes. Always studying in the same spot can cause you to get into autopilot mode and lessen the amount of studying you actually get done. It’s also possible to study together with other people since your study environment is not just where you study but also the people around you! If you like having the help of another person to memorize the study material then studying together with someone can definitely help!

There are many nuances that go into creating a good study environment and it’s important to take them all into consideration when creating one. I hope these tips can aid you with tailoring a study environment to be perfect for you! Also check out last week’s blog here, for some brain food inspiration!