The Pressure of Studying At The Library

 

I have tried numerous times this semester to study in my room. My curtains are opened, my desk space cleared and I have a steaming cup of hot coffee sitting next to the pile of notes I have to go through. It seems like the perfect place to study, because what better place is there than your own room? No one is there and there aren’t other people to distract you. WRONG.

Imagine one of those movie scenes where you have a girl walking down the street with a light airy pop song in the background. The sun is shining, her hair is swinging back and forth and she’s got that super swag  walk going on. All of the sudden, the girl falls and the music stops. The illusion is ruined.

That is me with studying in my room. I have this perfect image of myself happily studying in my room, listening to A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton and smiling like one of those Shutter Stock photos. Very unrealistic. In reality, when the music stops, I’m actually in my pyjamas watching Netflix with my large pile of notes sitting on my bed. My coffee cup is empty but somehow I am still tired and my bed is calling out to me to take a small nap. The next thing I know, I am in bed taking a four hour nap and I wake up at 5pm in the afternoon- a whole day wasted. This has happened on numerous occasions and each time I end the day with immense guilt and anxiety.

However, I have discovered the perfect cure. Here it is, are you ready? Go to the library! For me, I like this one library at school that has a group study floor where there are large tables and you can go study but it’s not overly dead silent. I realized that I like studying with other people, but it has to be a specific type of person. I don’t necessarily mean that we have to be studying for the same subject, in fact most of the time I prefer to not  be studying the same subject as my study buddy. Do you ever find that if you study with someone for the same exam and if you’re not reviewing the same chapter at the same time, it gets very distracting? Maybe it’s just me, but if I’m reviewing for something, I prefer to just be alone. I like to study with someone who also wants to focus but I can take small study breaks with in between whether it’s people watching or sharing a funny video.

Another thing surprisingly helps me study is the constant reminder in the back of my mind that other people are watching me study. I mean that in the least self-centred way as possible. Just the knowledge that other people can see me study motivates me to really focus. Plus, the fact that other people are studying pressures me into studying as well. I feel like I’m more accountable for my actions and even if I’m not studying at that moment, I should pretend like I’m studying. It’s a very weird concept but it’s helped me so much this finals season. The only downside is that I spend the majority of my day at the library and I have seriously reconsidered permanently moving here. My address could be, Sindy Spencer, 5th floor, the library. I even have a story about the time I slept at the library, but that’s for another time! Comment below if you want to hear it though!

Anyways, I have been talking to a few people about this odd phenomenon but it seems to work for a lot of people and true for many others. I used to hate the trek to the library especially when it’s freezing outside, but I seem to be reconsidering all of my past beliefs. The library is the way to go.