Creating a Study Space

 

Choose a quiet space to study.

 The best level of background noise is different for everyone, but in general, a quiet place is the best for studying. An ideal study space is in your home, perhaps at a kitchen table or in an office-specific for studying. If you need more background noise, try a coffee shop.
Avoid making your bedroom a study space as this can lead to associating your place of sleep with stressful studying.

Get a study group together. 

Not everybody studies well in groups, and you may not want a group for every class or subject. If you feel like being in a group motivates you to study rather than distracting you, a study group that meets regularly can be great if you are a social learner

Make the space comfortable.

 You want the space to be comfortable, but not overly comfortable. Set up a desk and a comfortable chair. The desk should be about waist-height and the chair height should allow you to place your feet flat on the floor and rest your elbows on the table without scrunching. If using a computer, position it 18-30 inches away from you.
Make sure the temperature isn’t too hot or too cold.
Avoid reading in your bed or on a comfy couch so you won’t fall asleep.

Optimize the lighting. 

If possible, make your study space near a window to get lots of natural light. If you are studying at night or don’t have access to a window, make sure you have a good lighting. Simple overhead lighting is often not enough. Get a desk lamp or a floor lamp to brighten your study space.
Position lights so that there are no distracting shadows.
Avoid placing lights in a way that cause them to shine directly into your eyes.

Keep everything you need nearby. 

Once you get in the study zone, you do not want to be distracted by having to grab scissors or a piece of paper. Make sure you have everything you will need readily available. Some good things to have close-at-hand include:
Calculator
Paper (lined and plain)
A glass of water and/or snacks
All necessary notes and textbooks
Calendar and to-do list

Set aside distractions.

Social media websites, cell phones, and television are some of the most distracting things when trying to study. Turn off your computer (or just the internet), turn your phone on silent (or leave it in another room), and turn off the T.V. Limiting the number of distractions around will help you focus and get your studying done.
Tell your family you’re going to study so they also know not to distract you.
If you want to listen to music, background music is better for memory and retention than using headphones or earbuds.

Keep it clean. 

Clutter can be very distracting so clean it up to stay focused. When you are done studying, put everything back where it belongs. If you had snacks, take your plate back to the kitchen and throw away any garbage.
Remove all non-essential items from your study space at the end of every study session.