With the return to grad school has brought the return to libraries. The library at my school is...interesting. It only has one "reading room," while the majority of the books are stored in these scary looking plastic crates behind a wall with a big robot arm that I imagine having a Wall-E voice who fetches them for you.
The library also has some serious....echo issues. Which, you know, is awesome in a campus full of students who are sure to never have colds or trail mix. Or wear flip flops.
Also, strangers will just sit down at your table. Now you all know that I am a fan of strangers...but strangers who take over your quiet library table and then start talking? No. Get out of town.
But even more terrifying than the echoing and the table-stealing strangers...my complete and utter lack of attention span. I've only been out of school for a year, and it is seriously gone. I do not know how people can go back to school after years away--if you have gone back to school after years away--TEACH ME YOUR WAYS.
Here are things that used to motivate me:
This study technique was called "champing." It required hoods. Because you focus better when your hood is up. It required intense focus because after a set time of hood-up champing, you got to have unlimited time of Gossip Girl/ABC Family/Blockbuster (yes, my college town was so small and old we still had a Blockbuster).
We found matching scarves at WalMart and thought that they would make us concentrate more.
False.
Our study technique was copious amounts of coffee, french fries and focus...followed by Paris Hilton's BFF marathons.
What are your favorite tips and tricks to help you focus?
I work with my hood up sometimes, it makes me feel invisible so people can't interrupt me. Doesn't even work a little bit.
ReplyDeleteWhen I worked in an office, I wish I could have worn a hood as a "don't bother me" symbol. There needs to be a payroll time code for "getting interrupted by others."
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ReplyDeleteI would never have thought about the hoods! But I definitely can not focus at all on anything!
DeleteI find if I really need to get down to business, I have to go to the library. There are far too many distractions at my apartment, (Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, my cat Leia, food, repeat). When I'm in the library I feel forced to work because I feel like everyone around me will judge me if I'm not. Which if we're being totally honest they're probably doing all of the above distraction (except for Leia, what would she be doing in my school's library? Pfft).
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge library girl too. I still need to learn to balance it though as a commuter student...I need to be in the library, but I also need to drive home and eat my meals. Buying everything there would get expensive!
Deletei have no tips. because HI i work well under pressure.
ReplyDeleteat least that's what i always told myself.