The idea for this post came to my mind while I was writing my previous two posts for my blog. I decided to move myself to the library in hopes of improving my productivity. I noticed that it worked for me. I was much more focused on what I was doing and less prone to distractions. Not only was I less prone to distractions of my working environment (TV, Xbox, my roommate) but I noticed I didn’t catch myself wandering to other websites and things like that. The point of this post is to bring to surface the many effects that your study environment has on you and hopefully will help you pick the ideal place to study.
A change of scenery is one key way to improve productivity. Switch up where you are studying. It will increase alertness and focus. A 1978 experiment took students, had them study a list of 40 words in a cluttered room with no windows, then had them study the list once more in a modern room with a view of a courtyard. The other group had students study the list twice over in the same room. It was noted in the article that there were multiple studies after that then confirmed the study. Scientist retested the conclusion of the first study enough times that they could reach an appropriate P-value of under 5%. Dr. Bjork, the senior author of the study, was explains the findings of the study in his claim: “What we think is happening here is that, when the outside context is varied, the information is enriched, and this slows down forgetting.” This makes a lot of sense. Looking over the same material in the same place could get monotonous if doing it for too long. It’s easy to see how changing the environment can help you focus. In fact, I noticed the difference right away when I started going to the library. Take a trip out of the dorm, but don’t forget your books.
When picking a location for your studies, make sure you pick one free of distractions where you can sit down and just zone in to what you are doing. Multitasking is barely a thing, so don’t try to do anything else but study. A key part to not get distracted is to remove temptation from the equation. In other words, don’t study somewhere where you are at high risk of being sidetracked by something. A study conducted at UCLA asked students to divide cards into two categories based on the shapes displayed. Then afterwards, they made them do the same thing while keeping count of high-pitched beeps playing through headphones. The subjects had a much harder time explaining their work and extrapolating what they learned. This study could have even had even more drastic effects if they made it a double-blind randomized trial. They could have taken the subjects, divided them in two, and then tested the results so that they didn’t have prior practice without the beeps. However, this study does also show the effect of multitasking on the brain. Also note that an environment free of distractions isn’t always a quiet one. Here is a link to my other post on the effects music has on concentration.
The last variable to consider when choosing a study area is the lighting. As long as not too bright to where it harms your eyes, lighting can improve your concentration. The summary of three Dutch studies concludes that optimized lighting improves concentration. The studies took a control group with a certain lighting, tested them in dimmer lighting, brighter lighting, and then lighting even brighter than in the second test. The latter two tests showed improvements performance of concentration and fewer errors than their controls. Due to the trend of improvement in the tests and retests, it was concluded that better lighting improved concentration. Turning up the lights or switching to a brighter room can be another way to improve.
So, there are many different ways that where you are studying effects your performance. Make sure you are switching up where you study every so often to optimize your productivity. Be sure to make sure you won’t get distracted. And lastly, make sure that there is ample lighting. The brighter the better, but not too bright. Consider these tips the next time you sit down to study.
Hi Tyler,
For me, the best place to study is a quiet, organized, well-lit, distraction-free area like you described in your post. This is the environment in which I learn the best. But I believe that everyone has a different way of going about learning and studying that is best for them. My friend studies and learns the best when she is surrounded by people (which I would call a distraction) comfy in her bed with dim lighting. I would not be able to study this way. I need to be sitting up straight in a chair in order to study. This website shows the most effective places to study, but also includes the pros and cons to each of them, so each person can choose the best place to study for them, depending on their specific learning ability. This website talks about everything from environment to background music, with examples like, “Studying with headphones on tends to decrease retention/memory, whereas music in the background can be an aid to study. The difference between the two deals with how close the input of sound is.” It is a very interesting read to learn about the best places to study, and to figure out which place is best for you. Nice article!
-Claire
I agree with switching up where you study as you mentioned in this post. Growing up I would always seem to switch up my study habits. For example, I would switch from being in a quiet location by myself on year, to the the kitchen with the television on and other background noise the next year. Either way, at the respectable times i felt as though that was the correct environment for me to study in most efficiently. Its pretty strange to think about. In complete science, there are no distractions. However, one would assume in the pretty noisy environment that it is extremely easy to become distracted. However, through personal experience I found that when surrounded by so many different background noises it almost creates a “cloud”. Basically unless some sort of alarm is sounding all the different noises seem to block each other out. It almost becomes the silence on its own, and for whatever reason that is I do not know. Believe it or not, I am actually back to studying better in a quiet environment where I feel my concentration is more focused on my work, such as the library.
I really agreed with a lot of things this article stated. One thing I agreed with is the lighting not being too bright or too dim. I once studied in the hub by the huge wall of windows with the sun blaring in. The sun wasn’t in my eyes, it just made the place really bright. I felt like the brightness was distracting and I found myself squinting. I eventually moved to a place with less window light. Also I once studied with this lamp on my desk that was very dim. I found myself studying for shorter periods of time because my eyes would get tired from the dim light. Really useful things that you discussed in this blog that every student should read!
In regards to lighting I know that when I do any type of school work in bed or in dimmer lighting I am less focused and tend to delve into many of things other than my task at hand. In an article written by Nieke Moolenaar http://www.academia.edu/1393302/Lighting_affects_students_concentration_positively_findings_from_three_Dutch_studies, that a large amount of positive effects were discovered with the use of brighter lighting not just study habits. Overall academic performance was bettered, work speed was enhanced, and accuracy in school work was overall greatened. This was told to be caused because ones heart rate and blood flow increases with more lighting causing an overall better focus.
This is a very well done, analytical, and fully scientific blog post with a very useful message. In one study, I found the author discussed how study habits and study environment are a huge influences grades and the like. Here: http://pps.sagepub.com/content/3/6/425.short . It was really interesting and if what you found here is as accurate as it seems then the advice here can help massively increase peoples grades.
Another variable to consider when creating you perfect study environment is music. According to Advising and Learning Assistance, “Music in the background can be an aid to study. Unlike music through headphones, background music has all environmental noises included in it, and to hear this music to the exclusion of other input requires intense concentration. Some studies even suggest that certain types of music — such as Bach, Beethoven, or flowing instrumentals — may even increase intelligence and retention of material. However, hard driving rock, rap music, and heavy metal cannot make the same claim!”
To create the optimal study environment, you have to take many things into consideration including music. Also, we are all different and we each seek out a different study environment. While studying in the library may work for some people, it may not work for others.
http://alac.rpi.edu/update.do