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Your ideal study "haven"? op/ed


Renoir

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Hey guys, I've just found a 2BR basement suite with two enormous rooms. (The kitchen has suffered for it.) I'm planning my study "den" for the absolute ideal of few distractions, ultimate comfort, blah blah blah, as I'm actually going to focus this time and spend lots of hours there. And I'm building a massive ash desk!

 

So, what have you/do you find to be the things that are incredibly important in helping you succeed in studying effectively, and actually encourage you to do so? And has anyone bought/made a custom desk before? Advice?

 

For me:

1. Huge desk with lots of arm space / leg space

2. Tea!

3. An endless loop of Pat Metheny and Sigur Ros

4. A large shelf of books

5. A computer without flash installed on it... :P

 

Cheers!

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5. A computer without flash installed on it... :P

 

Lack of access to the world wide web. It-is-a-must.

 

I got the most amount of studying done when I was cut off from the internet for exceeding my allowed bandwidth.

 

Or, of course, I could have developed some self control. :D

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I already have my ideal study haven. It is my physics TA's office. The features:

 

1. 3 feet by 5 feet featureless room (very little to distract me)

2. enclosed in thick-sound proof concrete (all I hear is the faint hum of the air ducts)

3. big windows on 2 sides to let mr.sun in

4. relatively cold (good cause I tend to "heat up" when doing some hardcore studying)

5. extremely little traffic (no one likes physics...)

6. bad cellphone reception

7. computer :)

 

Add in my coffee thermos and a bottle of water and I'm set. :D

 

EDIT: Law has spent quality alone time in there with me. ;)

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Or, of course, I could have developed some self control. :D

 

Heh, that's what I was planning on... Futile probably. :D I was thinking about getting a laptop with no frills on it, so that I was in the mindset that I could only visit "research" related sites... Ban facecrack perhaps

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-a CLOCK - VERY IMP!

Did you watch that British movie "cashback"? There's a scene in there where they put tape over every clock visible to the cashiers on night shifts... That's how I feel about clocks!

 

Good advice though - I definitely understand your addiction to pens. I never plan to spend just ten minutes in staples in the pen aisle.:rolleyes:

 

And hey, why are clipboards so important??

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1. a wide desk, where i can have stacks of notes organized

2. comfortable chair with proper height relative to the desk. Maybe an extra chair for me to put my feet up.

3. access to NO COMPUTER (waste too much time, period)... even with my iPhone (which i need to keep with me)... I waste too much time on safari/youtube

4. a nice snack, tea is nice here and there

5. have people around to chat/discuss the material with every hour or two

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Hey guys, I've just found a 2BR basement suite with two enormous rooms. (The kitchen has suffered for it.) I'm planning my study "den" for the absolute ideal of few distractions, ultimate comfort, blah blah blah, as I'm actually going to focus this time and spend lots of hours there. And I'm building a massive ash desk!

 

So, what have you/do you find to be the things that are incredibly important in helping you succeed in studying effectively, and actually encourage you to do so? And has anyone bought/made a custom desk before? Advice?

 

For me:

1. Huge desk with lots of arm space / leg space

2. Tea!

3. An endless loop of Pat Metheny and Sigur Ros

4. A large shelf of books

5. A computer without flash installed on it... :P

 

Cheers!

 

Hmmm.....I like/need the following:

 

1. huge L-shaped desk with comfortable swivel chair - one side for computer and one side to spread out books, papers, etc

2. tea (and lots of it)

3. I also have an affliction for gel pens and highlighters so a few pencil cups

4. my dry-erase calendar from MUN

5. laptop (for research......;) )

6. ample lighting

7. radio or iPOD dock - I need background noise for company

 

I haven't built a desk but I have certainly adapted them to fit my workspace and study habits - installed extra fluorescent lighting, changed shelving options, etc, etc

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I haven't built a desk but I have certainly adapted them to fit my workspace and study habits - installed extra fluorescent lighting, changed shelving options, etc, etc

 

Yes, I love having SAD lighting, or really bright flourescents, but sometimes need to transition to dim 'yellow' lighting if I've been studying too long.

 

How do you adjust your light levels? Do you have multiple types??

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-a CLOCK - VERY IMP!

 

That depends. Usually I'm always in need to check the time, but when I have massive cramming to do (like tonight) and see the hours drift by, I get tired really easily; probably just psychological.

 

It's actually a good thing that my clock/cd player broke today morning.:rolleyes:

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Yes, I love having SAD lighting, or really bright flourescents, but sometimes need to transition to dim 'yellow' lighting if I've been studying too long.

 

How do you adjust your light levels? Do you have multiple types??

 

I can't say that I really adjust my light levels but I find that a ceiling light or a few sconces or table lamps just doesn't cut it. Definitely need some kind of desk lamp whether it be fluorescent or halogen. I have had both kinds and don't really have a preference at the moment.

 

I did forget one important fixture on my desk.....

 

8) candle.

 

Not that I am a pyro or anything. I just like to have a flickering flame nearby. Ambience, I guess....LOL :P

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Great thread, I've taken 7 years at Western to figure out the absolute best places to study for me....

 

Only in the last year have I switched from the Law Library to the Ivey Library.

 

The reasons

 

1) Both are less busy than the main libraries on campus and seats are almost always available somewhere

2) Ivey - good ergonomic chair for my terrible back, I also prop my books up with a recipe stand, so I don't kill my neck.

3) Big long desks to spread my stuff out on.

4) Ivey - you can eat food in.

5) Ivey - No internet access for non-Ivey students..... means my productiveness goes up 450% lol and if I really really need the internet, I can go over to the communal computers and use it.

6) Good study music (prefuse 73, sigur ros and many other non-lyricals bands) in noise cancelling earbuds

 

So available space, ergonomic chair, roomy, allowed to eat snacks, and lack of internet access and good music.

 

Also the law library boasted the most friendly Tim Hortons woman in the world that knew my name and order by heart, so I still go there first to get my coffee and chat and then to Ivey to study.

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