Finals season is upon us and finding the perfect place to study is crucial in helping you feel prepared and confident about your upcoming tests. While some people may prefer studying in libraries with friends or at a coffee shop, some people may want to just buckle down in their own apartment, free from distractions. Here are a few helpful tips from us at Hunziker on ways you can improve your study area in your apartment to help you feel more efficient and focused.

Not many people love studying for tests, so it’s easy to find distractions to pull attention away on what you should be doing. Make an effort to put away or turn off anything that could be distracting like your TV, your phone, etc. Additionally, let your roommates or friends know that you will be spending time in your apartment to study so that you can avoid people interrupting your time.

Reading a few chapters from your bed or lounging on your couch while working through your study guide may seem harmless at first, but can ultimately prevent you from fully concentrating on your study tasks. It’s important to separate your study space from your sleep, social, and dining spaces. This helps minimize distractions, keeps you focused, and puts your brain into study mode. Choose an area of your apartment that has enough room for you to comfortably sit and lay out all of your study materials. Avoid sitting in areas that can pull your focus away like a living room where you would keep your TV, or near a window with a view out to a busy street.

The last thing you want to have to worry about when you’re studying is finding all of your lost pencils or notebooks. Prepare to study by decluttering and organizing your apartment/study space so that you can be less distracted by mess and find what you’re looking for when you need it. Invest in bookshelves, baskets, or file organizers to help cleanly display your different materials so your space can stay maintained, and you don’t have to waste time hunting down lost items.

It is important to try to use furniture that is comfortable enough to make you feel productive, yet not too comfortable to generate distraction. After all, the goal here is to be productive, not relaxed. Personalize your study space based on your ideal preferences so that it is functional and helps make your study experience a positive one.

Putting on some music or white noise while you study is a great way to drown out any other distracting noise so you can put in some productive study time. Be careful about what you choose though. While some music you listen to can help you calm down, relax, boost your mood, etc., your brain may start to focus on the lyrics rather than the study material you have in front of you. Try to stick with classical music, ambient noise, or instrumentals to still get the benefits of nice background noise without the distraction.

Sometimes, overhead lights do not cut it and when your studying goes into the late hours of the night, you need lighting that can help you concentrate and not fall asleep. Consider a bright desk light or floor lamp to help brighten up your area instead of having to rely solely on the lighting in your apartment.

Whether you’re looking to be right next to campus, or prefer a spot a little farther out near other popular Ames restaurants and shops, Hunziker Property Management has a variety of apartment options for you to choose from. View our property listings and contact us to schedule a tour!