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Our surroundings can significantly influence how we act. It can determine mood, impact motivation, and significantly affect emotions. As such, it’s no surprise that students need a physical learning environment designed to boost engagement and productivity. According to eschoolnews.com, one of the best ways to keep students focused and motivated to learn, is to have classrooms with optimal acoustics, spacious interior set-ups, and pleasant designs that are not overwhelming to the eyes.These components also extend to students’ study spaces outside the classroom, especially at home where they do homework and review for tests. This highlights the importance of creating a conducive study space that can sustain your productivity in the comfort of your own home. Here, we list some tips on how you can make an ideal setup to support your study habits.
Turn it into a personal space
The best place to study is somewhere that is accessible to you and ideally a place that is within your home so you won’t have to go far to study properly. Beyond accessibility, though, it’s also a place that is personalized to your tastes. Studying as it is is stressful, so your study space should be a safe space with decor and colors that appeal to you.In addition to standard studying tools and stationery, you can add photos of your family and friends, posters of musicians you like, and other decorations that turn it into a personalized space. You can also print out motivational quotes to stick onto a wall or put your past trophies and academic certificates on display to remind you what you’re working towards. These decorations can be especially effective: in a previous post on our blog at findingyourpathbooks.com, we highlighted how keeping in mind why you’re studying is an effective motivator in staying productive. Putting reminders of that in your study space can help a lot.
Make sure it’s comfortable
Besides being aesthetically pleasing, your study space should also be comfortable. One great way to do this is to incorporate ergonomics into it. This scientific discipline focuses on making comfortable designs to enhance productivity. With everything from ergonomic furniture to accessories available, you can easily give your study space an ergonomic twist.That's especially highlighted by the ergonomic chairs on painfreeworking.com. Models like the Herman Miller Embody reduce back pain and promote proper posture by distributing your body weight evenly and supporting the natural alignment of your spine. That way, you can study for long hours without experiencing pain or discomfort. If you’re someone who prefers changing positions while studying, a study on ncbi.nlm.nih.gov notes that standing desks are a great option to increase attention and focus. Models like the Uplift V2 can be used at various heights and can convert from a sitting to a standing desk with the touch of a button, so you can switch between the two and keep up a good momentum while studying.
Have good lighting
Research from Endesa shows that good lighting is important vital while studying because it helps the eyes see the material better and improve concentration. When a study space is too dark, your mind will be focused on adjusting your eyes to see what you’re studying, which can be stressful and lead to ineffective retention. As such, it’s important to have good lighting that can illuminate your space and the material you’re studying.Natural lighting is one of the easiest ways to get good lighting, but when you’re studying at night, a good LED lamp is beneficial to have. Websites like Amazon have a variety of table lamps that come with adjustable heights and brightness settings that you can maximize. Furthermore, placing your light source overhead is a recommended position, so that you won’t get distracted by any shadows.
Keep the space clean and orderly
While some people thrive on clutter, it’s generally beneficial to have a clean and orderly study space. A messy space can make you feel overwhelmed and could lead to procrastination, as you're so torn between cleaning up and studying that you put off accomplishing your academic to-do list.When you're not concentrating on the mess around you or stressing over where your study materials are, your brain can relax and feel more at ease, promoting motivation to study. Additionally, cnet.com highlights that a clean space can boost your mental health, which in turn also increases productivity for a better study session.
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Article written by Reanne Jade
Exclusively for THE FINDING YOUR PATH PROJECT