By Harry Pearse
Staff Writer
When I study, I like to be in an extremely specific environment. I usually have to be in my bedroom at the 22 Murray “bachelor pad” in Hicksville. I have to have a specific type of music on, depending on what work I am doing. I also prefer no distractions from anyone! But the various sounds coming from my roommate Mr. Sebastian Baxter, and the wailing song ‘The Free Love Freeway’ coming from my other roommate Alfred ‘Johan’ Lindberg, make it a difficult atmosphere to come by.
If I get these three main requirements, I can smash through my revision and essays in a couple of hours, ready to commence my session of Spartacus.
However, many of my housemates and friends work in a totally different atmosphere. For example, Oliver Hollingsaeter, a freshman Economics major, can easily concentrate and get through piles of work in the living room of our house, even though he is chuckling at the classic comedy of “Friends” along with me. I only wish to be able to switch off all distractions and just be able to work, but for me, it simply doesn’t happen like that.
To be fair, I have gotten much better at it since my first semester in college. I have now started to study at the infamous LIU Post Library. There, I am developing a tolerance for the distractions of the sniffles and sneezes that the archive of books has to offer.
One way in which I cancel out the sounds of the library is by listening to the ‘immense’ ability of all that British underground, deep house DJs I love –which by the way, all the Scandinavian boys believe it’s bizarre when I put a bit of bass on the way to 7 a.m. practice, unless its Kygo, of course– or I listen to the majestic guitar-playing of John Mayer, which means I can’t actually hear any of the distractions anyway.
The funny thing is, the reason I took the conquest of studying to the school library in the first place was because many of my friends find it much easier to study in a library type of environment, and psychology does prove that being in an environment of such work ethic can increase the level at which you work. I completely agree that this working environment does rub off on me sometimes and increases the efficiency of my work engine.
Whatever your working environment is, finding it and sticking to it every time you study is such a great thing. It helps your ability to concentrate and think, therefore allowing you to just get your work done. Concentration levels are key for revising, as you guys know, so instead of distracting yourself or getting distracted by others, find out what you react to the best when it comes to discovering your environment.
Remember, everyone’s different: What music? Do you even want to listen to music? Do you prefer the library, or being at home? What will make your mind focus in on getting that revision done or writing that essay?
Be First to Comment