Studying is one of the most important skills students can adopt and master during their time in college.  

Many come to college not knowing how to properly study, or what methods work best for them. College can help students develop new study skills and techniques.

Many factors play a role in a good study space and environment for students. Factors like lighting, amount of people present, noise, comfort, sound and location influence how quickly and well one is studying and absorbing information. Time of day also plays a role in studying, as some get more work done during the day, and others are more productive in the evening.  

On the first floor of the DeNaples Food Court, a group of students who appeared to be working were questioned on their study tips and methods.

Byron Maldonado, a sophomore cybercrime major, was studying for a comp sci test with a few of his group members a few hours before their test. He said coming to the DeNaples Center with his classmates and peers that are working on the same thing helps him focus better and share ideas with those who are learning the same topics.  

“I would rather study in groups. It helps me stay on the task at hand and have people hold me accountable for what needs to get done. I tend to write my own notes and study from them, but conversing and building off a group setting really gets multiple ideas flowing and generated for the task at hand,” Maldonado said.  

Was the loud music playing at the Starbucks Coffee nearby or the background noise of the food court or dining hall a distraction to him or his group members?

“When we are all here working together it is hard to get distracted by things like that. When I am by myself some noise cancellation on my headphones helps to tune it out. I study better with music, only slow calm music that does not have many lyrics, so I don’t get distracted by it. Listening to music with a lot of lyrics makes it hard for me to study along with cramming for long periods of time,” Maldonado said.  

Another student, Ava Quinn, sophomore kinesiology major, was working alone with headphones on the first floor of the DeNaples Food Court during afternoon hours.

“I feel most productive during the day after I get my day started for early morning classes. When I wait until nighttime, I end up wanting to sleep instead of doing work and would prefer to have the night to myself just to relax. Getting an early start to my day when I am already up for class makes me feel very productive, and like I didn’t waste my day,” Quinn said.

Time of day is crucial for students, and they must figure out which time of day they are going to get the most work done and be most focused and attentive to their studies. Location is also something of importance with several distractions and where one is most comfortable for a longer period of time.

Nick Butchko, sophomore communications major, was working in the third floor Gavigan Hall lounge on a long-term assignment that was due the next day. He said students should focus on managing their time, so they do not end up in his shoes.

“I always end up in this situation where I put work off to the last minute. Then I am stuck here cramming everything in a shortened hour period and staying up until crazy hours of the night. My advice is to start assignments when you first hear about them, even though I can’t listen to that myself,” Butchko said.

“My favorite place to study would probably be my dorm room bedroom because I can focus best without distraction. My roommate usually studies in the library, so I have the peace and quiet to get things done quickly. I find that I study better when I am somewhere comfortable and familiar, rather than somewhere with a big crowd doing the same thing as me,” Bucktcho said.

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