It can be hard to lock back in after spring break, especially when the due dates for so many assignments seem to pop up out of nowhere, not even counting papers or finals. Having a good environment in which to study is so important for academic success, and it may not be easy to study in your dorm room (especially in bed) or with your friends. According to The American College of Healthcare Sciences, studying in bed limits focus, decreases productivity and can actually hurt sleep. Similarly, while studying with your friends can indeed be beneficial, your productivity then depends on if they can lock in or not (personally it’s a hit-or-miss with mine).
What are some other options? You could go to one of the multiple different coffee shops around the Berrien Springs area, but if you don’t have a car this could become more complicated than it needs to be. The Student Movement spoke to some Andrews University students who bring good news: There are some pretty good study spots on campus (and some places to avoid as well).
“I like to study in my departments,” Nora Martin (senior, psychology and English) said, “because I have gotten to know my classmates and professors and I enjoy being in a social environment with people I know. I don’t like to study in big public places with a lot of people that I don’t know—like the big study rooms in Buller.”
Amelia Stefanescu (senior, English) said her favorite study spot “has to be the greenhouse and the library study rooms (especially the big one with windows on the second floor). They’re nice, quiet, and cozy, and really help me get into the right headspace for studying,” while her least favorite study spot “would be the science complex. There’s always a lot of movement and the atmosphere isn’t very conducive to studying because of the heavy artificial lighting and the drab colors. I really appreciate natural lighting for studying and a very quiet environment.”
Alyssa Caruthers (junior, English and political science) said her least favorite study spot “is definitely the campus center, both upstairs and the rec center. I’m the type of person that needs isolation and silence to study and seeing everyone walking through and talking would distract me from my work. I think my favorite spot to study is probably my department (political science not English) or simply a classroom/study room in Buller because of how comfortable, clean, and quiet they are.”
Christen Li (senior, anthropology) said, “I’m not disclosing my favorite study spot because it’s quiet and I love it so I don’t want anyone to nab it before I leave. There are some other places I enjoy though and I have spots for different times of the day. I really enjoy going to the library in the afternoons, you can reserve your own little desk for a semester and if you go early enough in the semester, you can grab one by a window which is what I did. I cannot study without windows. The downstairs part of the campus center is nice in the morning, to get a little boost on dopamine from all the people mingling around. Quieter areas, such as the department lobbies or the library, are nicer in the afternoons, especially if the sun shines through the windows.”
Although getting off of campus can be tricky for some, there are still more than a few quiet places to sit and study so you can get that A on a test or lock into that paper! Happy studying!
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.