Where and When You Study: Choosing Your Best Place

Your surroundings have a big effect on your efficiency. Match your assessment results to the advice below. What changes do you need to make?

1.  Is my study place available to me whenever I need it?

• Your study place does you little good if you cannot use it when you need it. 
• If you are using a shared study place, work out a schedule so that you know when you can use it without distractions and as long as you need it.

2.  Is my study place free from interruptions and distractions?

• It is important to have uninterrupted study time. Even one hour of study without distraction is more effective than four hours of study with interruptions.
• Turn off your cell phone or set it to silent. No ring tones + no vibrations = no distractions.
• Turn off the IM feature on your computer, unless you are using it as a means to communicate with members of a study group.
• Don't check your email while studying. Set aside time to read it before you start studying or once you have finished.
• A great way to take care of distractions is to create several user profiles on your computer. Set one, perhaps called Study, to block access to the internet altogether. Set another to Research, allowing internet access but blocking games and perhaps email. The third, with full access, can be My Time or something similar. [A warm shout-out to the brothers of Alpha Delta Phi for this suggestion.]

3.  Does my study place have all the materials I need?

• Be certain that your study place includes reference sources and all of the supplies you generally need (e.g., graph paper, pens/pencils, rulers, calculator, a computer with internet access).
• If you study best outside your room, check your backpack or bag before heading for the library or Athena cluster to make sure you have everything you'll need.

4.  Does my study place have a large enough desk/table?

• Use a desk or table large enough to spread out everything you need, so that you don't waste time moving things around.
• Allow enough room for writing.
• Try to avoid clutter. 

5.  Does my study place have a comfortable chair?

• A chair that makes you stiff or fidget will interfere with your studying.
• A chair that is too comfortable might make you sleepy.
• Find a chair in which you can sit for at least an hour and still maintain your attention. Then take a stretch break.

6.  Does my study place have enough light?

• Straining to see the page or screen burns through your energy more quickly.
• If you have a dark room or study place, add a lamp or use a reading light.

7.  Does my study place have a comfortable temperature?

• If it's too warm, you might become sleepy.
• If it's too cold, you may become distracted.
• Select a temperature at which your mind and body function best. 

When to Study

Make studying a regular part of your schedule.  Let it become routine like brushing your teeth or tying your shoes. For example, once your class times are set, find times when you have a two-hour block, say 2-4 pm on Tuesday/Thursday and 8:30-10:30 pm Monday/Wednesday. Do not ever schedule something else at those times: make them sacred!

Choose study times and days when you're likely to feel energetic and have enough time to complete assignments before class. 

Use daylight hours (as much as possible). Research shows that 60 minutes of study during the day is the equivalent of 90 minutes of study at night (Walter Pauk, How to Study in College, 6th ed. [Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1989], p. 27).

Plan to study for blocks of time. Generally, studying in one-hour blocks is most effective (50 minutes of study with a ten-minute break). Shorter periods can be fine for studying notes and memorizing materials, but longer periods are needed for problem-solving tasks, psets, and writing papers.

Determine how long you need to study to fully engage with the material you are learning. The third unit number in MIT subject listings tells you how many hours departments and instructors feel you need to spend studying in order to effectively learn that subject: 1 unit = 1 hour of work per week. Most subjects expect 6-9 units of preparation, and many students find they need more. You do the math!

Study soon after lecture. You'll remember and understand more if you review your lecture notes immediately after class. If questions arise then or something is unclear, you'll have plenty of time to check with a classmate or the instructor to clarify what you missed; it may be something important that you need for your psets and might appear on an exam.

List and do tasks according to priorities. Remember Parkinson's Law: "Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.” If you allot two hours to read ten pages, it will probably take you the full two hours to complete this 30-minute task. 

Start long or involved assignments ahead of time. In your heart you know it's true: cramming and rushing = poor quality work.

Set an agenda for each study period. Be specific, and plan ahead so that you know exactly what task you will accomplish during each study period.

Once you find a schedule that works for you, stick to it. Some days you may not feel like studying at the appointed time, but habit will help you settle down.