Four Tips for Adjusting Your Studying Environment to Increase Productivity

When studying, your ability to retain information can be impacted by several factors, such as noise, lighting, and temperature. Understanding how these stimuli affect your productivity is even more important when you're enrolled in online courses because you will often find yourself doing work in a variety of settings. Here are four ways to choose an environment for studying that will help increase your productivity.

Experiment With Background Noise

Some students prefer absolute quiet when studying, while others work better with music, white noise, or the ambient sounds of a busy public setting. If you've never considered how background noise can influence your ability to retain information, experiment with different sounds during your next study sessions.

Try More Natural Lighting

Too much bright, artificial light tends to make us fatigued and unfocused. Consider working under less harsh visual conditions while studying, such as with a cool light source or a halogen lamp. Getting more natural light from the sun can also help you be more alert because it reminds the body that it's time to be awake and active.

Change the Temperature

Like noise, temperature is a factor that affects each student differently. It's difficult to focus when you are too hot or too cold. Your goal should be to find an ideal balance, whether it's by adjusting your thermostat to the right setting or heading outside to study when the weather's nice.

Limit Potential Distractions

This one may seem obvious, but it bears repeating. If your environment contains too many potential distractions—your cell phone, television, friends, or pets—it can quickly become difficult to stay focused on the task at hand. Some distractions are inevitable, especially if you're a parent, but there are many ways to limit potential interruptions and improve your ability to concentrate.

Having a study environment that caters to your needs can significantly improve your productivity and ability to learn, especially when taking classes online. At the Tulane School of Professional Advancement, almost all of our bachelor's and master's degree programs offer online courses, which allows students with jobs and other responsibilities to have more control over their schedules. To learn more about our programs, request more information today.