#41 - What is the Best Location to Study?
Hello Everyone! Here is the first lesson taken from the course that I am writing on studying. I wanted to just offer the text here so I could see what you thought. I spent A LOT of time researching this topic and I read several entire academic papers and even read an entire technical book on the topic. The lesson doesn’t have the images that are suppose to accompany it. So please keep this in mind. Enjoy! My plan is that I’m going to start selling individual lessons from my course and bundling over time for you all the viewers. Then once the course is all done and complete I will create the final product and sell it on my website. It’s a little bit different approach than just creating one big entire product and selling it. But I think it’s the healthiest approach since, at the time of writing, I don’t have an audience here yet.
Enjoy the first lesson below! -Calvin
This is an interesting question as it has a lot of different elements in it. The ideal place to study or “study space” is a place where someone goes to concentrate on a subject at hand. There can actually be many location options! And these locations can have different purposes for different people.
However, as abstract as it sounds, establishing a study space is the most important first step to being an effective learner and having the most optimal study experience possible. This is because the environment affects us in different ways as learners. Environment is so important that even items, especially furniture, have a profound impact on the utility, effectiveness, and quality of the learning. Our environment shapes us and so it is important to remember we are our environment and our environment is us. Being a teacher for many years now I have experienced the effects of our environment affecting the learning process. And believe me it is true! Not only that, but talking to other educators, most seem to agree that improving the environment improves learning. Now take a look at my classroom setup as a first year teacher:
My classroom was a technology infused classroom. We had computers along the walls and the students sat facing toward the walls. The projector was at the front of the classroom. As you can probably guess, it was difficult lecturing for the students, because they would constantly have to shift their bodies to look at the board. Not only that, but I experienced a lot of students that weren’t aware of what the assignment even was! So I set out to brainstorm, and I came up with this new scheme:
Now all the computers were in rows and they faced the front. So they all were in sight of the projector and me. Now the seating was more blended and it reflected a more traditional lab. The results were like night and day. I had more students turn in work, pay attention, and I was able to run more tutorials on the board. It was a massive improvement and just by changing one element (the furniture) can have a drastic improvement on the learning experience. Furniture is by far the easiest and most effective first step to making a space better.
The topic of learning spaces has had quite an interesting history. University as we know it, came from several hundred years of accommodating these two groups of people: tutors and students! Here’s a drawing that sums it up:
It all started with #1 - Religious Institutions and churches. That’s where it was the only place one could get books many hundreds of years ago.
Now this happened! The printing press! This allowed the distribution of printing materials all across the world (or what we know of as Europe).
Afterwards, the Ivory Tower of Schools, the original Universities emerged and they laid the literal and figurative foundation for what a University is supposed to look like. These universities were for the rich upper class and they studied all the liberal arts.
Now once the new world emerged, the Americas, or more specifically the Thirteen colonies, started having a need for schools or a place for learning and so without much planning. A lot of the schools began popping up all over the American colonies. They simply copied what the original European colleges had done.
In the 1800’s the US created something called the Morrill Land Grant and this allowed colleges to get more money set aside for land and have more universities be built across the nation.
After, there was a big foundation shift in what universities mean to the average person. The term during this time was to include all the education or training of all the professions.. This led to the split between the liberal arts philosophy of the past, with the practical utility of education for the workforce.
Now fast forward to our present age. Colleges and Universities are everywhere. And just about anyone can find or learn what they want either by applying to a college or by studying online!
Now that you have seen how schools and studying have changed over time. I want to point out that there are dozens of potential learning spots and locations for a student of any age! Not only that, but the institution of science has not established any sort of default idea of what learning spaces could encompass. But no worries! These are the basic categories that one has to choose from. This selection was made carefully after examining the literature, research, and of course from my own personal experience!
#1 Library - Oh the library! I put this spot as number 1 because this is most people’s go to If they need to study outside of their home. The library is the important building in any school and it's also where students are going to be spending most of their time. Believe it or not, but library use is one of the primary indicators of retention at a campus. And it makes sense, since students will be spending the most time there.
Pros: Lots of resources: books/media/support staff/desks/study rooms.
Cons: Can be crowded. Closed on holidays. Requires a commute.
#2 Home - Next the best and most practical for most people is one’s home. This is by far the best place to study and it comes down to people being more comfortable at home . At home it is more flexible, people feel more safe, there’s more privacy, and it’s nice not having a commute.
Pros: Most comfortable. Most flexible. No commute. Family/Friends to support.
Cons: Can be too casual and noise can be an issue at home. Requires communication with family to set boundaries.
#3 School - School is the next obvious choice as schools are most of people’s reasons for engaging in studying in the first place. Schools can offer tutoring, places like their own library, cafeteria tables, classrooms, and more. There’s a lot of places to study at school and it is also the place where one can get support if needed.
Pros: Great place to get direct help from teachers, tutors, or librarians.
Cons: Requires commute and not available at all hours.
#4 Work - Work is the next spot that one can study at. Some jobs give workers conference periods, or places to take breaks. Sometimes jobs even pay their workers to further their skills and pay them to study!!! Which is really neat! One thing I like to do at work is have a learning lunch. This is lunch time that can be used to get caught up on a personal project or take notes on some material one is studying. Overall, the mantra of studying at work is: “don’t waste time!”. We all have those little moments of time where studying could be conducted so it’s about filling all the slots in our day with some activity.
Pros: Can provide a lot of potential opportunities to study.
Cons: Have to make sure initial job duties are met and studying allowed.
#5 Coffee Shop - Coffee Shops are a great place for an alternative set of scenery. Plus, they can be a great spot to get one’s fix of beverages! Yum! The background noise mixed with the change of pace of being in public can definitely help one get into their groove of studying. Some coffee shops also are really comfy and also the background music can have a positive effect on someone studying. Don’t forget to get some tea or coffee. *Gulp!
Pros: Provides beverages and little areas to study.
Cons: Overcrowded, too loud, and lack of resources potentially.
#6 Car - An unorthodox spot and one that can be used if one isn’t driving of course. A car can also be a vehicle for delivering new ideas and gaining new knowledge. Some of my most memorable scenic routes were taken while listening to a memorable audio book or podcast. I strongly advise not listening to music while in the car, as that can be a big loss of potential knowledge or books one could have digested. Also, If one commutes often, then make sure to make use of that time by listening every day! You can go through a book or more a week easily depending on your commute. Which ends up being many books listened to by the end of the year. Again, the key is to not waste time!
Pros: Allows a way to digest big material like books/podcasts.
Cons: Restricted to only certain types of tasks. If one is driving one can only listen. And if one is in the passenger only certain types of work can be done.
#7 Outdoors/Miscellaneous - The last category is all of the other possibilities. As studiers, we are sometimes always on the go and find just about any place formal or informal to settle in to study. Some people might find an alternative outdoor area and this can be a great thing to just keep in mind though. Comfort is key, and so if one is not fighting the elements , then outdoors can be a good spot for some people. One can get fresh air, good natural background noise, and if the climate is agreeable that can be a good temporary place to study. I say temporary because well one can never predict the weather.
Pros: Nature can be a level focus like any of the other environments. Spots can be relaxing and sensual as well.
Cons: Noise, constant battles with weather, and animals/bugs.
Now that we covered all the main spots. Something I want to mention is: Flexibility! Always try to change up your location, go to different furniture, or make sure that you are taking breaks while studying. There are many places to go and many places to settle in!
So what would be the ideal study space for someone?
Well you have all these premade locations that one can choose from. Then of course there is an intentionally made one that someone can craft for themself! This is the ideal study spot! One can create their own study room in their home and make sure that it has everything that they need. The strengths of having your own study is that you can have your own resources, control your own AC Temperature, have your own lighting, insert your own furniture, make your own beverages, and craft the layout of the room/space however you want. And that’s the answer:
The best study space is the one you create for yourself.
Here is a summary of the lesson:
You learned about the history of Learning Spaces and where schools came from.
You learned that science hasn’t even established a vocabulary of location options to study from.
You got exposed to the most obvious practical spots one can go to today.
You learned that the best spot is the one that you craft in your home!
Now the question of the lesson for you to complete is:
What is your current favorite spot to study and why?
