Hello lovelies, I hope everyone had a nice week! Since the semester is in full swing I wanted to talk about a topic that is an incredibly important factor when calculating your individual formula for success. This topic is finding your work environment. What I mean by that is finding the environment that you not only are productive in, but thrive in. Every student thrives in a different work environment, and as a senior I cannot stress enough the importance of finding your environment early on. News flash, working in your bedroom on your bed is a big no-no. It is important to find a space that will motivate you to work. Whether that is your desk, or some other place that is NOT where you associate free time with.
Some of the most popular work environments are coffee shops, “open-office” areas and the “cubicle”. The “Coffee Shop” environment features a degree of background noise, smells, and level of social interaction that many people thrive from. In a 2012 study published by The University of Chicago Press, researchers studied how ambient noise affects creative cognition. They found that “a moderate (70 dB) versus low (50 dB) level of ambient noise enhances performance on creative tasks.” While there are often things going on all around you, the coffee shop allows you to be in an environment that gives you the best of most worlds. For example, you can have that cup of joe that helps you get into the work mindset. You have the option of the background noise or being able to put in headphones for a more singular environment. The downside of the coffee shop environment is that it can easily be distracting if you are distracted by noises and social situations.
If you feel like you need a quiet work environment I would recommend the “cubicle style” environment.The cubicle style is ideal for those who need absolutely no distracting elements around them in order to be productive. This work place environment is quiet, organized and allow really allow the individual to hone in and get any task they are assigned done and efficiently. One of the benefits of this style is that you are close enough to others where you can ask for assistance need be, but otherwise is a singular environment great for grinding out projects and tasks. As with any style, the negative is there is little to no social interaction, so if you need background noise to focus move on, this is not the work environment for you.
The open office style is what is often practiced in the classroom. Where there is a big open environment that allows tons of communication and ease of collaboration. Creatives often tend to use this style (ex. Buzzfeed). The biggest downfall of the open office style is it potentially can become too loud, and non task focused if the wrong group works together.
I cannot stress this enough that you need to discover your ideal work environment early on. Discovering your ideal environment will allow you to be more productive and successful not only as your career as a student but any career path you choose upon graduation. It is important to mention that any one of the above work environments have both their pros and cons, and what you need may vary depending on task, but do what works for you. You career, boss and co workers will end up thanking you.
