7 Best Places to Study 鈥� for High School and College Students
March 25, 2024
I was lucky enough to have access to quality learning environments/study spots throughout my entire academic career. In high school, I routinely took advantage of my town鈥檚 spacious but cozy public library. At college, I loved making use of my dorm building鈥檚 small, quiet study rooms. And when I started grad school, I was thrilled to learn about a neighborhood caf茅 famous for being the perfect place to bang out an essay鈥攑erfect, I soon found out, because it didn鈥檛 have Wi-Fi. Libraries, secluded reading rooms, distraction-free cafes鈥攖hose were some of the best places to study near me when I was a high school and college student.
Of course, there are whole academic disciplines dedicated to the study of learning environments. And while I am far from an expert, in my training to become a teacher I spent a decent chunk of time learning about learning. So now, with the benefit of hindsight, I can tell a pretty convincing story as to why those study spots near me in high school and college鈥攍ibraries, reading rooms, cafes鈥攚ere the best study spots near me. Here goes鈥�
Best Places to Study Near Me (Continued)
We know from the work of neuroscientists that our brains naturally tend towards a state of distractedness. 鈥淥ur predisposition is to shift our gaze, and hence our attention, from one object to another, to be aware of as much of what鈥檚 going on around us as possible,鈥� writes Nicholas Carr in , his 2010 book on the effects of technology on our brains. Why 迟丑补迟鈥檚 the case is straightforwardly understood. Early in our evolutionary history, our attentiveness to slight changes in the environment was crucial to our survival. Minute fluctuations in light, smell, or sound could indicate an overlooked source of food or a predator lurking in the shadows.
Fast forward. While today we don鈥檛 have to worry about saber-toothed tigers lunging for our jugulars, our primitive brains are still on high alert, ready to shift our attention on a second-to-second basis. Our intellectual development depends, then, on our ability to fight what Carr calls our 鈥渋nstinctive distractedness.鈥� So when it comes to studying, and the environments in which to study: the fewer distractions, the better. The library, study room, and internet-less coffee shop all fulfilled that criterion: they were environments conducive to concentration, relatively free of distractors.
Best study spots near me 鈥� what to keep in mind
Because our brains tend towards distractedness, the best study spots near me were the ones with the fewest unnecessary distractions. But it鈥檚 not just the presence of distractions that affects our ability to concentrate. Studies have shown, for example, that natural light positively impacts academic performance. One found that students in classrooms with large windows performed 15-23% better on exams compared with students in classrooms with low levels of daylight. So favor well-lit study spots with natural, variable light.
The best study spots near me were also鈥攕urprise, surprise鈥攓uiet. increase stress, make it difficult to concentrate, and can even cause problems with memory. What鈥檚 important to note here is that noise affects us whether we like or not. Even, that is, if we claim to be able to 鈥渢une out鈥� that ringing cellphone, traffic noise, conversation, or hissing espresso machine. Another rule of thumb: opt for study spaces free of unwanted, intrusive noises.
Best study spots near me
1) Libraries
For my money, libraries are the hands-down champion of study spaces. There鈥檚 just something about being surrounded by books that, for me at least, promotes reading comprehension, concentration, and productivity. In fact, studies have shown children who have above-average rates of literacy. But I digress.
Libraries are perfect study spots because they鈥檙e quiet, populated with helpful librarians, equipped with internet access (ideally for research, not YouTube), and full of supportive learning environments for all types of learners. I always loved snagging an individual desk or table so I could spread out all my study materials鈥攖exts, index cards, notebooks, laptop, coffee. But I also liked grabbing a seat at one of the long, communal reading tables, especially if I knew I had to put in a good hour or two on a book or paper.
Best Places to Study Near Me (Continued)
Many libraries also offer private rooms available via reservation. That鈥檚 hugely important because the learning sciences have demonstrated that externalization and articulation are paramount to effective learning. Here鈥檚 this from the intro to one of my : 鈥淚n many cases, learners don鈥檛 actually learn something until they start to articulate it鈥攊n other words, while thinking out loud, they learn more rapidly and deeply than studying quietly.鈥� So ask yourself questions, summarize鈥攐ut loud鈥攖hat chapter you just read, give voice to lingering confusions and complexities; to do so is a crucial part of any successful study routine. Just make sure you鈥檙e not talking to yourself in the middle of the quiet reading area.
2) Study areas and reading rooms
In addition to libraries, it鈥檚 common for high schools and colleges to offer dedicated study areas and reading rooms. While these spaces might not have the same cozy, booky ambiance as libraries, they鈥檙e great alternatives. The advantage of these spaces is that they鈥檙e dedicated study spaces鈥攑roviding students with a space to study is their express purpose. Expectations, knowledge, and values are embedded in physical spaces. When you enter a space where it鈥檚 expected that you鈥檒l study, chances are you鈥檒l study.
3) Parks, beaches, and other public spaces
This category will depend, of course, on weather, geography, season, transportation, etc. In general, though, I鈥檝e found that beaches or parks are among the best study spots near me. They鈥檙e usually not too crowded, and except for the occasional obnoxious beach or parkgoer who decides to bring speakers, it鈥檚 not too loud, either. So when the conditions are right, the beach or park checks all the boxes of a great study spot. Parks may actually have the leg up on beaches, since parks have the added benefits of shade-bestowing trees, benches, water fountains, and restrooms. Another benefit? No Wi-Fi!
4) Coffee shops and cafes
Whether or not a particular coffee shop or caf茅 will make a suitable study spot depends entirely on the place itself. A loud, crowded, chaotic Starbucks where customers are jockeying for their mobile pre-orders and employees are shouting out names? Probably not the best bet.
Best Places to Study Near Me (Continued)
In general, I鈥檓 wary of studying at coffee shops and cafes. Customers flitting in and out, overheard conversations, change rattling in the tip jar, the barista鈥檚 playlist jingling from the ceiling speakers鈥攃offee shops are rife with potential distractions. And as a result, I never felt comfortable studying in coffee shops, never felt that clarity of mind that comes about when you鈥檙e fully immersed in your work. But that doesn鈥檛 mean that coffee shops and cafes are poor study spaces for everyone. Coffee shops on college campuses or in college towns often offer studiers a relaxed, quiet environment with comfy seating and tables perfect for spreading out books and papers. Plus, caffeine has been shown to .
5)听The bookstore听
This one depends on the bookstore. If you鈥檙e lucky enough to have a bookstore nearby that also offers seating, a reading room, or a caf茅, then you鈥檙e in business. The experience of studying at a bookstore is part library, part coffee shop. You get the hushed reverence of book-lined walls and the productivity-enhancing kick of caffeine.
It鈥檚 worth mentioning that bookstores and coffee shops are commercial enterprises, so they鈥檙e not quite as democratic and egalitarian as public libraries. In order to access these spaces, you鈥檒l probably be expected to spend some money.
6) At home听
Okay, caveats first. If you have roommates or share a dorm, carve out specific quiet or study time, and make sure you have access to quiet areas conducive to study. Another key to studying at home is clearing your study space of distractions or ways to procrastinate. The danger in attempting to study at home lies in the fact that at home, we鈥檙e surrounded by things with the potential to distract us: tempting snacks in the fridge, the television, the comfy looking couch, that new (or old) gaming console鈥he list of potential distractions in the home could go on forever. I鈥檝e found that I鈥檓 my most productive in clean, well-organized environments. That means that before I open my laptop or book, I tidy up. Once the dishes are done and the bed is made and the dirty clothes are deposited in the hamper鈥�迟丑补迟鈥檚 when I鈥檓 really ready to concentrate.
7) Anywhere your phone isn鈥檛听
Probably the best study spot near me is anywhere my phone isn鈥檛. That might sound tongue in cheek, but it鈥檚 not. If this article is a room, then the cellphone is the metaphorical elephant. Because as I鈥檝e prattled on about the dangers that environmental distractions pose to our study habits, I鈥檝e neglected perhaps the biggest distractor of all, the one we carry with us at all times, in purses, pockets, and backpacks, whether we鈥檙e in the library, coffee shop, or classroom.
When I want to focus on my work for an extended period, I open up my apartment door, walk downstairs, and lock my phone in my car. It might sound extreme, but it works: the presence of smartphones has been shown to have a deleterious impact on cognitive functions like and .
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If locking your phone in a car or safe sounds a bit draconian, don鈥檛 worry. You can always start by leaving your phone in another room. We know that distraction is public enemy number one when it comes to successful studying. So one of the best study spots near me鈥攐r you鈥攊s not really a place at all. It鈥檚 more a state, or condition鈥攖he condition of not having your phone within reach.
Best Places to Study Near Me
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