Residential Campus | Photo by Monica Brutto | The Wright State Guardian
Now that fall classes have officially started, students may be left wondering how they are going to make their living space somewhere that they feel both relaxed and productive. Here are some strategies to help!
Find other study spots
One of the best ways to keep your dorm feeling like home is to find other places on campus where you can study. These will be great options to go to between classes or when you are already walking around on campus.
This way, when you need to get some work done, you can choose where to do it. If you feel like having ambient noise that day, you might prefer the library over the privacy of your dorm room.
The Dunbar library offers a variety of study spaces, including some that you can rent. You can look more into the library’s rentable spaces here.
Dedicated spaces
While some people can successfully work and sleep in the same spot, it can be very challenging for others to focus during work time or relax during downtime. It can be helpful to make the two feel different.
Within your dorm, try to have a certain area where you typically get your work done. It helps to make this spot different from where you would typically relax.
While this can be tough given that dorms do not provide limitless space, there are many simple ways that this can be accomplished that will leave you feeling like you have distinct areas in your room.
Don’t study in your bed. Instead, try to use your desk as your study area, and have another area, like a lounge chair or your bed, where you relax.
Time management
While this advice might be over-used and tiresome, it still has merit. Planning out time to study can be difficult, but it is also crucial.
If you have a day when you need to get some studying or assignments done, it can be helpful to decide when and where you’re going to accomplish them. Plan to do some in other spots, and save the last few for the end of the day when you get back to your dorm.
Getting a physical planner might work for some people, but others may prefer to use the calendar app on their phone. Either way, marking off times for assignments and relaxation, no matter if that time is spent in your dorm or not, can be beneficial to your success in school, and help keep your stress levels low.
Take breaks
No matter what you are doing, it is always important to let yourself take a break from it. Humans are not designed to work non-stop for hours on end, so try not to push yourself to do so.
If you decide to plan out your days beforehand, schedule some breaks for yourself when you think you might need them. Either way, if you need a break at a certain moment, it is always okay to take one.
