Where do you find yourself when you know you need to be productive? Are you home in your room, dining table, or office? Or do you lean more towards quiet libraries? How about coffee shops?

I have classmates and friends that have told me it’s impossible for them to get work done at home. Some say there are too many distractions, or that being home makes them lack motivation, or that their household is too loud. I wouldn’t say it’s impossible for me to be productive at home, but from 9am-5pm, it is a busy household. My mom is a full-time babysitter so half of the time my room is occupied with a sleeping baby! That’s why I tend to take advantage of the many services available at USG like reserving a breakout room at the Priddy Library in Building 3, finding an unoccupied classroom, or my personal favorite, reserving a breakout room in Building 4 that overlooks all the pretty fall trees around the USG Campus. Have you tried this out yet? If you haven’t, be sure to check out this link to learn more about reserving a room in any building at the USG Campus! 

https://shadygrove.umd.edu/library/study-rooms

If I’m not at school doing homework, I focus best in my room at my desk, before and after dinner time. I’m sure to leave my room light off and turn on both the desk lamp and the colored LED light wrapped around my T.V. Some may find this odd, but I cannot focus without music on. My go-to playlists are a few I’ve compiled myself with lofi beats, pre-made Spotify playlists (Jazz for Study), or songs by Japanese pianist, Yiruma. For as long as I can remember, relaxing music enables me to get work done as efficiently as possible, and maybe this could help you be productive as well! 

Studying at a coffee shop or in a public place can be a hit or a miss. Some get too distracted and others thrive off of the chaos. As for myself, I like studying in such areas but I’m always sure to have my noise-canceling headphones with me to focus on my tasks while I listen to my focusing music. Going to a local Starbucks, local library, or bookstore might be a great place for you to thrive in. A new personal favorite spot I’ve discovered is the Black Lion Coffee & Cafe, which is in the shopping center right next to the USG Campus!

https://blacklioncafe.com/

Take some time to sit back and intentionally put yourself in a setting where you will be as productive as possible and remember, you’ve got this!