How to Create a Study-Friendly Environment in Your Dorm
When you think about studying in college you probably envision the large, quiet libraries with tall ceilings and stained glass windows. Or maybe you envision a quaint coffee shop with light background music and the smell of coffee beans.
What you probably rarely envision is sitting in your small dorm room working through your weekly assignments. But studying in your dorm room doesn’t have to be an unfortunate circumstance. It can be just as productive and motivating as studying around campus. If you prefer to save some time commuting or simply don’t feel like walking in the cold on a particular day, here are some tips to make your dorm room a study-friendly environment!
How to Create a Study-Friendly Environment
Lighting
Despite the fact that you probably scroll through social media on your phone in the dark on a daily basis, lighting is an important part of the study experience. Dorm rooms typically only have one overhead light in the center of the room which makes studying in there challenging if you’re studying at night or before sunrise.
Depending on your professors and preferences, you may be using you computer a lot. This, coupled with the minimal lighting you may receive from the overhead light, can make studying in your dorm challenging. Having good lighting allows you to sit a comfortable distance away from your screens and takes the pressure off of your eyes, preventing headaches and vision problems.
There are plenty of great options for desk lighting for a dorm room, but because of the limited space in dorms, a desk lamp with office supply storage is a great idea.
Ergonomics
The furniture in dorms is durable enough to last through years and years of continuous use. However, this durability also means that the furniture isn’t the most comfortable. Everything is typically made of wood which doesn’t provide much comfort for a desk chair.
If you want to be able to study in your dorm comfortably, you’ll need a chair with back support, a seat cushion, and some desk supplies that allows you arms to be positioned comfortably as you work on your computer/homework.
For the desk chair, you can always bring your own office chair and ask that the dorm furniture be stored in dorm storage.
This is one of the most popular desk chairs on amazon because its “criss-cross” friendly seating. This isn’t exactly the most ergonomic way to sit but for maximum comfort this chair is very versatile and can be used in many ways.
If this isn’t an option you’ll have to try and store the chair under a lofted dorm bed or use alternative methods to make the chair that comes with the dorm more study friendly. Try using a seat cushion. For example:
Lastly, you’ll want to make sure that your computer sits at eye level. Because college students usually use laptops instead desktop computers, the screens tend to sit lower than eye level. You’ll need a laptop stand to give you the best ergonomic desk arrangement.
Noise Reduction
Dorms are filled with college students all on different schedules and routines. Not to mention that you’ll also likely have a roommate. Noise can be prominent at any time of day in the dorm and for the best studying environment noise cancelling or reduction systems may be a necessity.
A personal favorite is noise cancelling headphones. These are nice for someone who likes to study in silence or while listening to music without the addition of background noise. There are plenty of different models on the market, but as an apple user I like these:
If you want to be able to feel included in social situations like studying with friends but also need the a more quiet environment to effectively study, these are also great for being able to quickly go back and forth between focusing and conversing.
If you’re not looking to spend money on headphones, a less expensive alternative is ear plugs. While they’re not as technologically advanced as the headphones, you can get pretty great noise canceling results. If you’re unsure how much noise will bother you in the new college environment, ear plugs may be a great first step before buying the headphones.
Another way to reduce noise is to use a system that creates white noise in your room. This could be a sound machine or an air purification system. The white noise will help cancel out any outside noise which will make studying in the dorm much easier.
Minimizing Distractions
We’ve all decided to take a “short” break from work and ended up scrolling social media for much longer than we intended. We’ve also all gotten lost in a conversation with friends and totally forgot there’s a homework assignment due at 11:59pm. That being said, there are plenty of distractions that can keep you from staying on track.
Minimizing the distractions, at least while you’re trying to be productive is crucial. Especially in your dorm where your bed is just steps away and friends are just down the hall.
The first way to reduce distractions is to put the phone away. A fun new tool to make this easier for the phone obsessed is the phone locker. You lock your phone away in the cage for a set amount of time. You can use this to keep yourself accountable and on track with your breaks. Make sure to turn the ringer off too.
Another way to minimize distractions is to set times with friends for when you want to hang out. Maybe that’s setting a dinner time for the dinning hall so that you all can take a break from studying, or a movie night in the neighboring dorm. This will keep you motivated to get things done so that you can enjoy and be present in the fun times with friends you’ve penciled into your calendar.
Whether it’s raining outside, the library is always packed, or you want to be able to climb straight into bed after hitting submit, there are many reasons why studying in your dorm may be a good fit for you. The key to making at-home studying just as productive as anywhere else is to make the environment comfortable and not distracting.
Using these tips and items, you’ll be sure to have a great study environment in your dorm room! Check out this post for more tips on how to make the honor roll.
