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Sometimes [ok, more often than I care to count] I find myself procrastinating. I think we all do it, from time to time.

One of my best friends says she “can’t seem to study until the entire house is clean, [she’s] prepped her next three meals, and there’s nothing left to distract her.”

Another one of my law school besties forces herself to come to the library because then “it’s just you, your books, and zero excuses.”

shocked

Amazing self-discipline, right?

My point is – every student has their own moment of distraction. Many times, my moments last a few hours.

What? Baking brownies for friends that might come over later obviously takes precedence over studying Civil Procedure…right?

oprah

We’ll have none of that, Oprah. 😛

In all seriousness though, sitting down to study takes some serious focus. Here are five tips that will help you find [or make] the perfect study space!

  1. Desk space!
    • Studying law is a hefty experience. There’s so many books! You need to find an area that can hold up all those books. I’d say a good, sturdy table, about 3 feet by 2 feet, will serve the purpose well. Anything larger would be wonderful, but not wholly necessary.
  2. Lighting
    • This is KEY. Lighting is important. I don’t do well with yellow lights, so my study space requires white light. It’s a must. Thankfully, the beau purchased an adorable Pixar-esque lamp. I love him. The lamp – just to be clear. He’s perfect, and I’ve named him Trevor. He’s adjustable and, combined with my other lighting, can lighten or darken my study space.
  3. Comfortable Walking Area
    • I am a firm believer in taking BREAKS! Which means I don’t always like to study in the library. There’s almost always someone wanting to kick me out of a study room (which can only be reserved for two hours) or there’s simply too many fantabulous friends around; we distract each other and can quickly turn to different (more like cute cat videos on youtube) activities.
    • That said, find a space you’re comfortable walking away from for a bit, somewhere you’re comfortable leaving your belongings for a quick minute or two. Personally, I frequent some nearby coffee shops and eateries. The staff know me, so I’m comfortable taking a call and walking away from my laptop and books (let’s face it, the books cost more than my macbook.)
  4. Sounds
    • Ambiance, people. The sounds has to be perfect. I have found a perfect study combination. Spotify’s Instrumental Pop Songs playlist and (judge me, if you must) Hogwarts Rooms. I’ve personally been hanging around in the Hufflepuff common room lately. The chirping birds and raspy quills add to my study mood.  #HermioneRocks
  5. Perfect Distraction Level
    • As I’ve told you, studying new material with friends is always a non-starter for me. I need to capture the material before reviewing it. So I prefer to study alone and then review with a few people. It keeps my study group small and everyone is easily held accountable.
    • Find a spot that doesn’t necessarily have all your comforts, or maybe even one that does. Just know, you need to find your middle ground and keep yourself focused. Law school is only three short years. Put in the effort and you will pull off the grades you deserve.

 

Happy Studying!