After living in residence for my first year at Waterloo, and being a don for my second, I’ve found it absolutely crucial to find good spots to study and get work done. Some are on-campus and some are within the building, but all of them help me maximize my focus. It’s super important to make sure that you have places to study and those separate from your bedroom. This is because your bedroom is where you go to relax and wind down, so studying there can not only enable you to nap, but it also can make it harder to sleep at night because your mind is so used to studying there. I know every time I study in my room I always end up taking a nap (accidentally). Here are some of my favourite spots to study that aren’t in my room!
The first couple places I like to go study at are locations within my residence, the chapel and the boardroom. These rooms have large windows so that I can look outside and use some natural light, as I find that helps decrease my chance of getting headaches. These rooms are also more private since they aren’t located in busy parts of the building and not everyone has access to both of these rooms. I go here when I don’t want to go far to study, and typically during the day, for that natural sunlight!
When studying on-campus, I’ve just started studying in EV3 (Environment 3) by the café, or up on the third floor. It’s nice to get out and study on campus as I feel like I missed out so much on this last year. It also allows the opportunity to meet new people, study with others, and potentially run into people I haven’t seen for a while. It’s a great environment to study in when you can study collectively with others, but also individually.
A new favourite place of mine to study is the courtyard; I find there’s barely any people there and all the natural light is breathtaking. Not to mention the skylight; it’s stunning. I’m hoping that the plants are brought back in soon, because that makes it even more enjoyable.
As I mentioned before, I really like studying in café’s. There’s one super close to my residence that’s quiet, has an amazing playlist, and has an awesome menu. What’s not to love?I know I said that studying in your room isn’t typically the most productive place to study, however, I do enjoy studying there sometimes. In my room, I have access to way more things; my super-close bathroom, my speakers to jam out to music for when I need a break, my beautiful plants, and all my supplies. Sometimes it’s nice to study alone, interruption-free. There’s nothing worse than walking all the way to campus and realizing that you left your textbook or laptop charger. What’s most important is finding a place where you can focus and be productive, whether that be in your bedroom, a café, on campus, or wherever else you like to do. Just make sure that if you study in your room you aren’t like me and end up napping every single time.