How To Create a Perfect Study Environment

Whether you’re studying dance or biology, you can’t learn anything in an environment filled with obstacles to your education. Honing your mind is as important as training your body, so when it’s time to study, make sure you’re working in a place that’s like your dance studio: clean, well-lit, and free from distractions. To help, here’s how to create a perfect study environment.

Keep It Clean

A cluttered dance floor is a no-go situation, and the same thing goes for a study space. Whether you’re studying while sitting at your desk in your bedroom or ensconced on a couch in the basement, keep the area clean and, more importantly, clear of diversions. Having toys, electronics devices, non-school-related books, and similar things nearby is a temptation to goof off. Keep what tools you need at hand—paper, pens, pencils, calculators, and the like—and stow the fun stuff. Keep your workspace empty so you can concentrate on filling up your brain!

Cut the Wi-Fi Cord

Not literally! Whoever pays for the Internet service in your home won’t appreciate it. Instead—and especially if you’re using a computer to write an essay, speech, report, or the like—turn off the Wi-Fi, delete the browser alias, and focus. That goes for any games on your laptop as well. Can you dance while you’re tied down? Don’t be ridiculous. Naturally, you may need web access for research, but if you’re making multiple side trips to irrelevant sites, set a timer to shut down your browser, forcing you to make better use of the time you have. Naturally, you can also set up blocks to certain sites—hello, social media—that unlock when study time is over. Of course, timing is everything in education and dance, and learning to discipline yourself on the best use of your time is a great skill to master.

A Quiet, Well-Lighted Place

It’s fun to be in the spotlight, but after time, it gets a bit warm. Wherever you work, keep it bright but not too bright. Ensure the temperature is moderate and that wherever you sit is comfortable, but not so comfortable you drift off. Find a quiet place if you can, or you can increase the silence with noise-canceling headphones. Music sets the scene, but nothing that has words you can sing. In the end, the library is best. Silence is mandatory, and there are plenty of spaces to hunker down with your friends or alone and get to work.

Be Prepared

One final tip on how to create a perfect study environment, just like a recital, is to eliminate all the usual suspects that take your mind off doing your best. Eat right, stay hydrated, and keep a store of healthy snacks nearby—nuts, seeds, and dried fruit are good standbys—in case you suddenly feel hangry. Use the facilities and handle any loose ends before you start to study. The worst excuses are ones that seem reasonable, but you can handle them before you hit the books!