5 Ways to Create a Positive Study Environment

Last Updated March 17, 2020

A proper study environment can play a big role when it comes to retaining information. Where you study can be just as important as the study material. Students taking classes online generally have more control over a designated study space compared to on-campus students, but it’s still important to find that one optimal place to study.

Here are five tips to help create a workspace that will be most effective for you during study sessions.

Comfort is Key

Being comfortable in a study space is about finding balance. You don’t want to be so comfortable that you can’t focus or stay awake. Sitting at a desk or table with a comfortable chair is usually the best way to go. Doing homework in bed might be relaxing, but it may send your brain signals associated with nap time instead of study time.

Overall, you know your body better than anyone. Choose a place that best fits your current mood. For example, if you are studying late at night and getting sleepy, try to avoid the big comfy couch, and instead opt for a desk.

Plenty of Personalization

For some people, a little personalization in the study space can go a long way toward proactive studying. Adding some decorations such as family photos or a poster with an inspirational quote can help motivate some people to keep pressing forward.

Adding colors that appeal to the senses can also be helpful. For example, the colors blue, purple and green tend to bring about feelings of peace and balance.

With that being said, don’t go overboard with the decorations because too many can easily affect your study time. Remember, the study space is designed to help you study more effectively, not become an arts and crafts distraction.

Clear Away the Clutter

Keeping your study space clean and organized can also help improve study time. An unorganized or messy study area can be a distraction. Whether it’s not being able to find the right paperwork, or a stinky smell from old food, a study space that is unorganized will also be ineffective.

You’ve heard of spring-cleaning – now, clean up your study space too. Working in a clean space can help improve focus and peace of mind. For starters, try organizing scattered papers at your study area into one stack. Then, divide the paper stack into three piles:

• Stack 1: Things needing completion
• Stack 2: Items to file away
• Stack 3: Trash

When all the items have been collected, throw out all the trash first, and then file the paperwork in stack 2 into a folder or binder for easy access. Then, begin to work on the items in stack 1. Your end goal should be to remove all the clutter in the workspace, except for the necessary study materials, like pens, sticky notes, note cards and a computer.

Forget About Your Phone

Cell phones are great for finding information and staying updated on the latest news, but they can also be big distractors. In general, stay off your cell phone during study time. There is no need for anything dramatic like turning your phone off, unless you feel you won’t be able to resist the urge to use it. If you trust yourself to keep it on, set it aside and let friends and family know that you are studying and will talk to them later.

It’s typically best to stay off social media as well, unless it is absolutely relevant to getting your work accomplished. Keeping these distractions under control while in your study space can help improve focus and information retention.

If you Like Music, Give This a Try

Listening to music while studying often depends on the person, as music can affect people in different ways. A 2010 study from the University of Wales suggested that “listening to background music prior to studying increased cognitive processes, such as attention and memory, through the mechanism of increasing arousal and positive mood.”

Other studies found that the type and tempo of music can increase or decrease information retention. For instance, researchers from the University of Dayton determined that participants performed better at spatial and linguistic processing when Mozart was playing in the background.

When it comes to playing music in your study space, be honest with yourself. Your most effective option may be to listen to country music, white noise, or perhaps no music at all. Be smart about it and choose the way that will help you best absorb the information.

While this is not an all-inclusive list, following these five tips can help transform your study space, improve organization techniques and promote good study habits.