Without our beloved UGL to go to in these dark times of finals, I found myself resorting to studying in bed with my laptop propped on me. As comfortable as it was, I unfortunately wasn’t getting much done, so it was time I got serious. That meant revamping my study space into an area where I felt productive, motivated and wasn’t laying down for a concerning amount of hours.
When creating my own study space, I looked to design an area that met the following criteria: spacious, quiet and inspiring. So here are my three ways to study in style that will help you end your year off right!
1. Spacious
Remove all distractions and only keep the things that put you into a studious mood. For most people, that means clearing your desk of your phone, leftover food (that probably should be removed anyway) and extra decor you don’t need. A minimalist design is key because although your five candles look cute set up all together, sticking to one opens up a whole lot of space. So, replace those piles of old plates and chip bags with piles of those textbooks you spent way too much money on.
2. Quiet
Quarantine has made it pretty easy to study without the noise of your friends and roommates nearby, but if you thought that was loud, I bet you severely underestimated the volume of your family. Whether its screaming siblings, barking dogs or your parents who LOVE to talk to Siri, the noise doesn’t help. If you’re like me, then you get your best studying done in a separate area away from people, especially your mom asking if you want yet another snack. If you can’t avoid the constant check-ups, then put on headphones and block out the noise. I recommend making a study playlist that keeps you going when your cranking out that excessively long study guide. As an extra challenge, load it up with at least an hour worth of songs and don’t stop studying until you hear the final one – and it better be a great final one.
3. Inspiring
Stay inspired by creating a colorful board to hang up above your desk! Inspiration boards are a great way to display motivating photos and quotes to remind you to ~Keep Calm and Study On~. Another way you can energize yourself is by adding some plants for a fresh, clean feel. A pop of greenery has amazing stress-relief benefits and with being locked inside all day, we can all use a little bit of nature. I’d recommend a cute succulent that can survive without water because if that comment about piled up old food applies to you, then I think it’d be best to choose something low-maintenance.
Happy studying!