Among the sounds of cheerful students discussing weekend plans, the gargling hum of milk steaming and the strong smell of coffee brewing, Isabela Magpantay, comfortably types her next homework assignment into existence.
Magpantay, fourth-year fashion merchandising major, discovered that the noise of the Garrison Coffee House leads to productivity in her study habits.
“I study better in louder places,” Magpantay said. “I feel like if it’s too quiet then I’m only focused on myself.”
Whether studying for an exam or writing a research essay, many students across Stevenson University rely on a physical environment and its atmosphere to motivate them to study.
Like Magpantay, Kaleiel Mekonnen, a second-year marketing major, found that the ambience of the Garrison Coffee House helps him focus on his studies.
“Just having the voices of the community around me while I study helps me concentrate,” Mekonnen said.
Mekonnen, like many other students on campus, also acknowledges that a quiet environment accompanied by a cozy floor plan can also prove to be an effective study area.
When catching up on homework, second-year English major Lillian Carter prefers to write her essays in the Garrison Reading Room because it makes her feel studious.
“The beige color theme is comfy,” Carter said. “It’s also the style of the chairs too. It’s like a little manor type style which makes me feel serious and like I need to study.”
In the Garrison Reading Room, the quiet is only broken by the occasional rustle of textbook pages being flipped and the gentle clacking of students typing. The warm light and the mix of red carpet and wood flooring offer students more than comfort.
Third-year criminal justice major Zach Hogg takes his homework seriously in the Garrison Reading Room nestled in the red linen couches by the imitation fireplace.
“I’m like alright; I’m in a fancy place now, I can get my homework done,” Hogg said.
Third-year criminal justice and psychology double major Anna Connell expressed that bench glider pavilions next to the Mustang Stadium is her favorite place on campus to complete lighter homework.
“I can’t do any serious work when there is a lot of noise going on around me,” Connell said. “But if it’s busy work like going over notes I think the background noise of cars, people’s music, and sports going on helps me focus.”
Fourth-year chemistry major Tabytha McLaughlin gravitates towards studying in empty classrooms with a white board. White boards are integral to her study habits.
“My roommates will come with me sometimes and look up from their studies and ask questions about what I’m writing on the board,” McLaughlin said. “If can teach it in a more basic way to people who are not chemistry majors that helps me remember the formulas.”
Some students are less motivated by the environment and more inspired by the journey to their study area. Second-year criminal justice major Malick Beyai stated that the Zaffere Library is his preferred study spot.
“You’re more motivated to get work done because you went out of your way to make the walk over there,” Beyai said.
Fourth-year student Karly Dizzine expresses a similar incentive for studying on campus that many other students echo.
“I do most of my homework and studying when I’m on campus because I’m not in my room and can’t be distracted by my phone or my TV which keeps me in a study mindset.”
