What Is Your Favorite Place to Study?

[QofQuimica]

I'm sitting here in Starbucks at the moment, watching all of these students study and wondering how the heck they do it with all the noise and carrying on happening in here. I like to study somewhere that is quiet and with minimal distractions, usually at home. How about you?

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[n3xa]

Library.

The UCSF library at the Parnassus is numero uno in my book, especially on the rare day that it's not so foggy outside and you get a good view of the golden gate bridge.



Can't do home. My studio has a queen sized bed and 12 tires for my car.

 

[lmesina]

second that. Can't do home because of the (daily living) distractions such as my bed and flat screen TV.

I prefer a medium-ambiently lighted environment with a small table. Hence, my coffeehouse vote. I also study better at night, so I tend to seek out the 24-hr joints.

 

[teddy bear doc]

Home, definitely, after the kiddos are in bed. Mostly because I'm a big fan of pj's, which are decidedly less appropriate for wearing to a coffee shop or the library than for sitting on the couch with a stack of books.

 

[lmesina]

Home, definitely, after the kiddos are in bed. Mostly because I'm a big fan of pj's, which are decidedly less appropriate for wearing to a coffee shop or the library than for sitting on the couch with a stack of books.

I also take it that you're "on-call" at home- you know, taking care of the (stuffed) patients

 

[Scullery Maid]

I am too distracted anywhere but home. And I have to do my little rituals to stay on track; like making a cup of tea, put music on, have everything on hand or I will wander around the house, etc.

I am not really that neurotic. If anything, I am very scattered and I just use "tricks," to keep myself focused.

 

[wholeheartedly]

I usually study at home due to fewer distractions. I have a lot of trouble studying at the library and frequently find my mind wandering. My absolute favorite place to study though is outside on a nice day. There's this place where I did my undergrad by some small waterfalls along a river and I'd love to go soak up the sun and study. Probably why my grades during summer courses were sooo much better

 

[NuttyEngDude]

I like to study at home, but with the summer heating up, I actually go to the library to save a little on air conditioning...... hey i'm a poor college student again

btw, a good tip for studying in public: ear buds, you know like listening to music or something to drown out the surroundings.

 

[gidget144]

I study on one place for an hour, and then get up and study somewhere different for another hour. I do this at home, on campus, and off campus. It's really awesome to just take a break and change location- sometimes, if I'm really struggling with material, I'll really get it after I change locations.

 

[spiderpete]

School. It is a place of purpose. Library is choice two. Home and coffeshop if i want to be distracted, which sometimes i do.

 

[eablackwell]

Panera! Free wifi + tasty soup... Mmm, I wish I had something to study now.

My family communicates via screams (read Italian) therefore I'm like Jedi level at ignoring outside noises.

 

[803]

I would say my favorite place to study is South Carolina

 

[teddy bear doc]

I also take it that you're "on-call" at home- you know, taking care of the (stuffed) patients

What can I say? It's a 24/7 job. And quite thankless too! They never express a bit of gratitude, even when I put them back together after they have had the stuffing literally knocked out of them.

 

[SoftwareKevin]

Always at tullys. I need background noise to focus. If it gets too quiet, my mind starts to wander

 

[n3xa]

Panera! Free wifi + tasty soup... Mmm, I wish I had something to study now.

I really want one of their toffee cookies right now.

 

[MommyMedStudent]

Library at school is great! I can't usually study at home due to little half pints interrupting, not to mention my better half Sometimes studying after everyone is bed but it's torture watching everyone else sleep while I get smarter!

 

[Doulos]

I like to find an unused classroom which I'll then take over. There is always a very wide instructor table which works well for holding a lot of material and pretty much nobody comes in to bother me.

Home doesn't work well at all. I have three kids (6,5,3) and my wife seems to think that all the "little" help-out requests are not a big deal...even though it is.

 

[ejw5075]

Home. Don't really have a choice unless I want to pay a babysitter every time I want to leave the house to study.

Med school will be a huge shock to me because I won't have to worry about these things, I'll be coming and going as I please and can study ANYWHERE, ANYTIME. Weird.

 

[OneTyme]

I'm all about the coffee shops. There are about seven shops in my city that know me by name. I think there is something about the environment that forces me to focus just a bit more, that and I use Bose noise canceling headphones!

I just can't study at home, all I want to do is play with my dogs.

 

[mauberley]

I tend to be less than successful trying to study at home. There's my TV, lots of books, and a bed, all of which are preferable to studying. I only study at home if I'm too lazy to get dressed or I need to do after-hours studying.

Libraries are good. They're purposeful and everyone's mindful of keeping quiet. Coffeeshops are okay, as they provide much-valuable fuel, but they can be pricey; it's still a place of business, so even if I may have long since finished my coffee, I will still tip. The noise isn't so bad so long as it can degenerate into white noise (and as long as I have my noise-blocking headphones).

 

[n3xa]

Home, definitely, after the kiddos are in bed. Mostly because I'm a big fan of pj's, which are decidedly less appropriate for wearing to a coffee shop or the library than for sitting on the couch with a stack of books.

I got no shame. I'll wear (clean!) pjs and a large hoodie to the library.

I've gotten a couple of remarks from the peanut gallery, but when the situation calls for a dress or a suit I have no problem fancying it up. I'm not one of those science people who shows up to a job interview in birkenstocks.

 

[SouthernMomma]

Panera! Free wifi + tasty soup... Mmm, I wish I had something to study now.

My family communicates via screams (read Italian) therefore I'm like Jedi level at ignoring outside noises.

I love Panera! Plus when I get bored, I can always people watch for a few seconds.

 

[StudyShy]

Work!

 

[Mahliah]

Library. There are just too many electronic distractions at home

 

[StudyShy]

I love Panera! Plus when I get bored, I can always people watch for a few seconds.

Mmmmm. Panera!

 

[katiemaude]

Starbucks. I wish I could afford noise-cancelling headphones. While I don't mind the music and chatter, every so often someone with a piercing voice - usually a barrista! - interrupts my flow. I also enjoy the people-watching mini breaks and easy access to caffeine. I don't bring my laptop unless I need it for the task at hand, or else the free wifi will do me in. When I need to buckle down, I hit up a college library where I don't have the wifi password.

Studying at home is sometimes OK but I get distracted by chores that need doing, my bed, and neighbor noise.

 

[Isoprop]

When I had an office, that was the best place to study. It's like home except you can't go to bed after 10 minutes of studying.

 

[csmbtm]

I study at home and keep the loud household distractions at bay with my Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones.

 

[MCAT guy]

Quiet place or place without distracting noises (technically anywhere with good headphones), with a decent chair, and a moderate amount of people for the extrovert inside enjoys that energy.

Boom.

 

[MCAT guy]

Starbucks. I wish I could afford noise-cancelling headphones. While I don't mind the music and chatter, every so often someone with a piercing voice - usually a barrista! - interrupts my flow. I also enjoy the people-watching mini breaks and easy access to caffeine. I don't bring my laptop unless I need it for the task at hand, or else the free wifi will do me in. When I need to buckle down, I hit up a college library where I don't have the wifi password.

Studying at home is sometimes OK but I get distracted by chores that need doing, my bed, and neighbor noise.

lol @ noise cancelling headphones. You can get decent ear bud headphones or a cheap 30$ pair of cans that will work as well as a $300 pair.

This isn't to say that I look down on anyone who pays $300 for headphones, just saying to not delude yourself into thinking they are somehow "functionally better" in terms of studying with music.

examples:

http://www.amazon.com/Skullcandy-Product-Version-Available-SC-SBB3-5/dp/B000CMTZO8/ref=pd_sim_e_1

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDRNC7-BLK-Canceling-headphones/dp/B001EYU3L2/ref=dp_ob_title_ce

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDRXD200-MDR-XD200-Stereo-Headphones/dp/B0007N55NW/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1305320283&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-202-Dynamic-Headphones/dp/B000065BP9/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1305320283&sr=1-4

We are quite a priviledged group of folks. $200 or $300 headphones are a luxury. I don't look down on anyone who has them, just saying for others to not delude yourself into thinking they are functionally better, in terms of studying with music, than the above headphones.

There's a pretty good thread in the allo forum about headphones if anyone is interested.

 

[GreenRabbit]

I'm the only one who likes studying at work?

 

[felixthekat]

I vote for work too. Scrubs are as comfy as pjs...there's a unlimited supply of snacks...we have wi-fi...at night it is generally quiet... I have access to the hospital library's database...and I get paid to study. At home, too many distractions mainly my cat who likes to prop himself in the middle of whatever I am doing.

 

[Eik Ooc]

I study at home as much as I can but it isn't very efficient when a toddler is tugging on your sleeve every five minutes. Going on lion hunts between chapters is a good way to clear the mind I suppose but it does interfere with my study pace.

I love studying at Panera. It's probably making me fat, but I like having access to fountain drinks and occasional bagels. It's only noisy during the lunch and dinner rushes.

 

[mauberley]

I'm the only one who likes studying at work?

Work is for wasting time on SDN.

 

[StudyShy]

I'm the only one who likes studying at work?

Nope. I said work too.

 

[ThreadStalker]

I had to day coffee shop since that was where I studied the most during undergrad. Now, though, I can barely read a book in a coffee shop because of all the noise and distractions, so that is bound to change when I start school again. I always thought I'd get better at focusing as I got older, but I'm just getting more annoyed by interruptions. Dang loud kids!

 

[ShyRem]

In undergrad it was home.
In med school it was home unless I had study group - and then we met in a study room at school with a big blackboard.
In residency, study time is not so much outside of work. Study time is time at patient's bedside or looking stuff up before rounds or after rounds. Home time is time to cook or sleep or go shopping with the kids and hubby.

 

[Leader813]

I'm sitting here in Starbucks at the moment, watching all of these students study and wondering how the heck they do it with all the noise and carrying on happening in here. I like to study somewhere that is quiet and with minimal distractions, usually at home. How about you?

I was probably one of the students that you saw studying in Starbucks! Studying at Starbucks is subject dependent for me though. Physics and Orgo I could knock out with no issues but subjects like biochemistry and genetics...Starbucks is a no go!! I need absolute quite!!

 

[ozzi22]

i study in my car.

 

[QofQuimica]

i study in my car.

Hopefully not while you're driving it....

I used to do that in HS sometimes when I was taking classes at the CC and had some free time in between. (I mean study in the car in the parking lot, not study while operating the vehicle!).

 

[ladybug1122]

The library is usually the best place for me to study. I prefer to stay where I can see people passing by instead of the individual study tables. I cannot sit for long periods of time (unless I have a test the next day) so I usually walk around a little after about an hour of study.

 

[Torr]

For me it's definitely home. The problem is I've gotten so used to having music blasting in my ears while I study that I need it even when the house is dead silent.

 

[drdan83]

I like to study where there are minimal people around. I don't want people sitting next to me and I want to be in a room with no distractions.

I'm oversensitive and the smallest of things can irritate me.

The library seems to be my favorite place though.

 

[Jedi_Knight]

I'm sitting here in Starbucks at the moment, watching all of these students study and wondering how the heck they do it with all the noise and carrying on happening in here. I like to study somewhere that is quiet and with minimal distractions, usually at home. How about you?

Starbucks. Staffed by beautiful women.