I never imagined that I would start my college life rooming with not one, but two other students. Despite knowing the unlikeliness that I, as a first-year, would be assigned to a single dorm, I had secretly hoped that I would be lucky enough to have a room to myself. The reality was far from my expectations. Outwardly, I wore a facade of confidence to assure my concerned parents, who, knowing my introverted personality, were worried it would be hard for the three of us to get along. In truth, I was quite nervous as well. I was used to having my own space; I couldn’t imagine sharing a room with two other people.
Luckily, most of my anxieties were eased upon meeting my two roommates. They are both wonderful people and we adjusted to living with one another surprisingly well. It was easy to share my space with people I enjoyed being around. Still, life is never perfect. There were still problems that I had to overcome as I shifted my lifestyle to accommodate my new living situation, most notable of which was the struggle of studying in our chaotic environment.
I prefer to work in my room and so do my roommates. We are each respectful of one another’s personal space and working hours—I can tell that my roommates make conscious efforts not to disturb me when they see me working, as do I. However, I couldn’t help but lose my focus with every sound of the scrape of a chair across the floor, every creak of the door opening and closing, every rustle of clothing or bed sheets as my roommates went about their daily lives. As I was studying on my bed, which is arranged in a way that faces the middle of the room, I could see my roommates moving about constantly in front of me, a devastating distraction for a people-watcher like me.
Of course, I couldn’t simply ask my roommates to adopt an unmoving, statue-like existence whenever I was studying. Nor could I ask them to leave the room on the basis that they were detrimental to my concentration; our dorm was their room as much as it was mine. This was a problem I had to deal with on my own.
Firstly, to address the problem of sound distractions, I decided to purchase a pair of noise-canceling headphones. I had previously been using earbuds to play music while studying in hopes that I would be able to drown out the noise. The headphones were much more effective at the job. In addition to the change in earpiece, I also decided to change up my study playlist. Back at home, I prefer listening to classical music while working. In my opinion, classical music is wonderful for background noise, as well as for dispelling silence. However, in an environment where there is already plenty of background noise, it was not helpful for me. I needed music that was catchy enough to distract me from my surroundings, but not so catchy that I would be too caught up in the music to work. My solution was to listen to music in languages with which I was not familiar. This way, I could listen to upbeat music without becoming engrossed in the lyrics. My new favorite music genre to listen to when studying is soft rock and occasionally some R&B.
Next, to resolve the visual distractions, I moved my work area from my bed to my desk. Although it is less comfortable to sit on a chair than to sit on a bed, I feel that sitting at my desk is more conducive to working, as it is easier to type on a hard, wood surface rather than having to crouch over my computer placed upon the mattress. As my desk faces the wall, it is not as easy to become distracted by my roommates’ movements. I can only see them in my peripheral vision from my seat at the desk, but since they rarely walk in the vicinity of my desk,, it is very much an improvement from being able to see their every move. To remove distractions for myself even more thoroughly, I learned my roommates’ class schedules. Now I mostly work when I know my roommates are not in the room, as opposed to before, when I did almost all of my studying in the evening and at night, times when we were all in the room.
Lastly, one of the most effective methods I found for working in a chaotic environment was actually to indulge in my distractions. Although it sounds strange, I found that the more I forced myself to work, the more easily distracted I became. By implementing regular breaks into my study schedules, I found it less difficult to focus on the task in front of me. During these breaks, I allow myself to stare out the window, looking at all the people passing by. Or I simply sit and enjoy the peaceful ambiance of the room, both when my roommates are in the room and when they are not. I also like to enjoy a small snack and a cup of hot tea as I relax. These activities allow my mind to wander, giving it a break from the intensity of classwork. Afterwards, I feel refreshed and ready to engage in another battle with my assignments.
Despite my initial worries, I was eventually able to adjust my study habits to a communal space with a few strategic changes. For students living in a similar situation and suffering from the same problem, don’t despair! Perhaps employing methods similar to these can help you boost your productivity. By understanding what best works for you, it is possible to effectively use a variety of spaces to your advantage and be productive in a multitude of environments.