By Theresa Nintzel
Coming to college as a freshman, it can be difficult to find your place. The challenge of finding a comfy location where you can get your work done can be daunting. For the first couple of weeks, I tried doing my work in all of the typical places.
I started out in my dorm room, but the temptation to take a nap in my bed became too strong. Naturally, I went to the MacPháidin Library next, where I was met with mixed results. As a disclaimer, I love the library. The staff are some of the friendliest people you will ever meet, and it is a great place to meet up with friends to collaborate on group projects or just talk while doing work. However, I sometimes have trouble focusing there. Whether I am sitting with my friends at one of the tables in the middle of the library or lounging in the comfortable red chairs on the first floor, something about the environment makes me want to scroll through Instagram, Pinterest, and even Goodreads instead of doing my work.
That being said, I love being able to quickly and easily book a library room when I really need to work. Overall, however, the library feels more like a social environment to me, rather than the ideal place to finish the work I have been procrastinating on.
My quest for a new study spot eventually led me to the Shields Science Center. As an English major, I had rarely been in the building except to go to Dunkin’. On one fateful Sunday morning, when I had the looming threat of essays lingering over my head, I grabbed a seat at a table near the windows in the Pettit Atrium. The lighting is pretty great in the daytime for getting work done, and I sat away from others to avoid being distracted. The convenient location of Dunkin’ definitely helps to satisfy my caffeine addiction, giving me the necessary push I need to get all my work done. I have only studied there once or twice, but my experience there has been pretty productive.
Last, but certainly not least, I have tried to study in dorm common rooms. This one truly depends on where you live, as well as what time of day it is. I live in O’Hara, and there is some comfortable seating that is in proximity to electrical outlets. There is also a nice outdoor seating area that I have used plenty of times when jumping on Teams calls. It’s ideal to study in the common rooms earlier in the day since people start hanging out and watching TV there once the evening rolls around. Ignoring the intermittent distractions and occasional mac ‘n cheese fire, common rooms are not necessarily a bad option when you want to stay close to your room while also getting a change of scenery.
At the end of the day, the issue might not be with the study spot you choose as much as it is having an attention span that has been absolutely wrecked by TikTok. Regardless, it is always nice to find the ideal spot to get you in the mental headspace to start completing your work.
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